Father-daughter recognized as Kentucky Colonels

The father-daughter duo of John C. Stewart Jr. and Taylor Ulman-Stewart Davis has been recognized for years of community service and has received the highest title of honor awarded by the governor of Kentucky.

Stewart and Davis both were honored with the prestigious title of Kentucky Colonel in recognition of their significant accomplishments and outstanding service to the community, state and nation.

Stewart is a longtime resident of Winter Garden, and Davis grew up in Winter Garden.

Stewart has dedicated his life to being a volunteer, bringing joy to children in need. As a member of Bahia Shriners in Orlando since 1997, he is widely known in Winter Garden for his bright red Shriner parade vehicle and two decades of service to the city's Parks and Recreation Department in coordinating the city's annual Christmas parade.

In 1998, Stewart founded the annual Bahia Shriners Children's Christmas Day in Paisley. For 26 years, the event has provided thousands of underprivileged rural children with a festive family picnic, a visit with Santa, toys, shoes, clothing and essential hygiene products.

Many children in need of orthopedic and prosthetic services have been referred to the Shriners Children's Hospital system because of this annual event.

Born in Hamilton County, Ohio, Stewart experienced a traumatic burn injury when he was 12 and received many weeks of treatment and care at the Shriners Children's Hospital in Cincinnati. This inspired him to become a Shriner. He is past master of Mokanna Lodge No. 329 F&AM and member of the Scottish Rite and Royal Order of Jesters.

He frequently has been recognized for his tireless efforts through the years, and he has received numerous accolades and awards for his Shriner and Masonic philanthropic efforts, as chairman of the Bahia Shrine Circus, and in his construction mission teamwork with the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden.

Now retired, Stewart’s career as a heavy-hit auto body technician was marked by his strong work ethic and dedication to helping his neighbors get back on the road safely.

Stewart was nominated by his fellow Shriners and awarded the high honor of Kentucky Colonel by Commonwealth Gov. Andy Beshear in recognition of his lifetime of service in Central Florida and his support to western Kentucky after devastating tornadoes in December 2021.

“I wasn’t aware that I had been nominated for Kentucky Colonel,” Stewart said. “The current potentate of Bahia Shrine, Mark Charlton, submitted my name for consideration. … The official award letter and certificate arrived in the mail from the governor’s office and I could not have been more surprised and honored. Bahia has several Kentucky Colonels in the fraternity, and it is humbling to be in their company.

“I grew up in southern Ohio, and my mother and her entire family were from the Louisville, Kentucky, area, so this honor was very personal and close to my heart,” he said.

Stewart said he nominated his daughter for Kentucky Colonel because of her years of hard work and what she’s now doing in the Kentucky community of Bowling Green.

“I’m so incredibly proud of Taylor and what she has accomplished,” Stewart said. “When Taylor relocated to Bowling Green, she already had so much volunteer experience. She jumped right in and is making a big difference in her new community. The tornado disaster was right after she and my son-in-law relocated to Kentucky, blocks from their home.”

Davis said her nomination came as a complete surprise.

“You can only be nominated by other Kentucky Colonels, and knowing how much my dad has built his life around philanthropy, it makes this recognition all the more special,” she said. “It’s such an honor! I’ve modeled much of my career and commitment to nonprofit work after my dad’s efforts, and the fact that he felt I’d done enough to be nominated is incredibly meaningful.

“While receiving recognition from the governor is a huge honor, having my dad be the one who nominated me makes it even more personal and special,” Davis said.

The 2003 graduate of West Orange High School has carved a path of notable professional and community achievements. After earning her Bachelor of Science in advertising and Master of Advertising from the University of Florida, Taylor embarked on a career that has taken her from Florida to Wyoming, Denver, and now Bowling Green, where she lives with her husband, Matt.

In her professional role, Davis serves as the targeted marketing director of strategic projects for Vitalant, one of the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit organizations focused exclusively on providing lifesaving blood products to nearly 1,000 hospitals across the United States. She also is an advertising professional-in-residence at Western Kentucky University, where she teaches in the School of Media and Communications.

Prior to her work with Vitalant, she was a fundraiser and marketer for Harbor House of Central Florida, one of the largest domestic violence nonprofits in the state.

Davis’ commitment to community service extends beyond her professional life. She continued her work to support survivors of domestic abuse by volunteering with Family Tree in Denver, recently serving on the board of directors and leading its Communications Council. She also is a founding board member of The Healing Collaborative, a Denver-based nonprofit providing cutting-edge mental health technologies to children and adults experiencing adverse effects of trauma. She sits on America’s Blood Center’s Communications and Partnerships Committee.

Since relocating to Bowling Green, Davis has served on the United Way of Southern Kentucky Kindergarten Readiness Allocations Committee and regularly volunteers with Hope House Ministries’ Addiction Recovery program.

She was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by Beshear in July.