St. Augustine City Commission Unanimously Honors Forsen Family with Aviles Award
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Summary
At a February 2025 commission ceremony in St. Augustine, commissioners presented the Aviles award to the Forsen family in recognition of decades of multi-generational public service. The award, created in 1988 and typically limited to one recipient annually, requires a nomination by a commissioner and unanimous approval of all five commissioners.
The City Commission of St. Augustine presented the Aviles award to the Forsen family at a February 2025 ceremony, recognizing decades of public and community service across multiple generations.
Commissioner Springfield, who nominated the family, introduced Ken and Kaye Forsen and their descendants, outlining a history of service that the commission said meets the award’s longstanding eligibility criteria. The commission’s procedure, as described at the event, requires a commissioner to nominate a recipient and then unanimous approval from all five commissioners; officials said the 2025 award was approved unanimously.
The presentation noted the award’s history: since its inception in 1988 the honor has been given to several dozen recipients and in recent years has been limited to a single recipient or recipient family each year. The city tied the award’s name to St. Augustine’s sister city, Aviles, Spain, and said reading the list of past honorees is a tradition at presentations.
Commissioner Springfield recounted elements of the Forsen family’s service. He said Ken Forsen served in World War II and received the Purple Heart, later working for the U.S. Postal Service in downtown St. Augustine. Kaye Forsen worked in social services and later in local education, including positions at St. Joe Academy and the St. Johns County school system; she finished her career as a coordinator of secondary programs at the St. Augustine Technical Center. Springfield also described family members who worked for the post office, who owned and taught in local trade and technical programs, and who held leadership roles at institutions including Flagler College and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.
The commission’s remarks singled out Tim Forsen’s long career in local education: Springfield said Tim began as a teacher and coach, has worked 45 years in the St. Johns County School District and has served eight years as superintendent; Springfield noted Tim is retiring at the end of this school year. The mayor and commissioners joined the family for the plaque presentation, which the city recorded as "presented by unanimous approval of the City Commission of St. Augustine this February 2025."
Family members offered brief remarks of thanks and recalled local landmarks and memories of growing up in St. Augustine; they emphasized that the family views its service as rooted in the example set by Ken and Kaye Forsen. The ceremony concluded with the mayor thanking attendees and noting the evening’s inspiration.
The award citation presented to the family reads in part that the City of St. Augustine presents the Aviles award to the Forsen family “in recognition of tireless dedication and honorable service to the people of St. Augustine,” and records the commission’s unanimous approval in February 2025.
