Jason Banderman

Age: 26

Family: Wife, Sara

Employer: Crader Distributing Co.

Position: Marketing specialist

Community Involvement:Disaster Relief Team-Lynnwood Baptist Church, Volunteer Coach

Leadership for Jason Banderman means combining his career with public service. Through Crader Distributing Company of Marble Hill, where he is a marketing specialist, Banderman is part of a team that uses the outdoor power equipment the company sells to help with disaster cleanup efforts.

"We donate equipment to units within our territory," says Banderman, who is in charge of the program. "I actually operate the equipment and help with cleanup."

"Jason best demonstrated his commitment to his career and community through his work in disaster relief, locally and in the post-Katrina Gulf Coast," says Alex Ogburn of Saint Francis Medical center. "When the devastating tornado hit Caruthersville last spring he joined a group of men responding to a call from the Cape Girardeau Fire Department to aid in clearing roads for emergency vehicles and search and rescue teams. Jason reached the town within four hours of the event, led teams as they cut all night. He returned to Cape around 6 in the morning, showered and headed off for a full day of work. For him it just seems to be about everyone else."

Banderman says he is driven by a desire to be of help to others.

"It inspires me to want to do well," he said.