On Feb. 26, Frank Hernandez of Regions Bank and Dr. Martin Heslin of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB will be honored at Leadership Vestavia Hills’ annual Leadership Award Banquet.
The community leadership organization will present Hernandez with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Heslin with the 2019 Distinguished Citizen Award.
The father of two Vestavia Hills students, Hernandez is actively involved in Vestavia Hills City Schools’ Parent Teacher Organizations. He has served in the past as president of communications for Liberty Park Elementary and Liberty Park Middle schools.
Over the past three years, he has revamped the Band Boosters Association concession stand fundraiser at Vestavia Hills High School. As a result, the stand has increased sales, service and partnerships with local businesses, according to a press release.
Hernandez also currently serves as president of the board for the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club and was recognized as the Alabama Soccer Association volunteer of the year in 2015 for his work.
Heslin, associate director for clinical programs and a senior scientist at the cancer center and chief of medical staff at UAB Hospital, has devoted his medical career to specializing in the research and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers and soft-tissue sarcomas.
As the director of UAB’s Multidisciplinary Gastrointestinal Oncology Unit, Heslin provides care to patients with liver, pancreas, colorectal, esophageal and gastric cancers. He also created and continues to co-manage a large human tissue bank for research in the Department of Surgery, where he is executive vice chair and a professor.
In addition, Heslin serves on the board of the Robert E. Reed Gastrointestinal Oncology Research Foundation, which supports the research being conducted under his direction at UAB.
Heslin has been named to the Newsweek Top Cancer Doctors list and is a reviewer of four professional journals. He authored or co-authored more than 80 publications and nine book chapters.
—Emily Williams