Who gets your nomination?

Discussions among Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board members will begin soon to determine who the finalists will be for the Central Floridian of the Year for 2017.

We’re compiling our list of candidates now, and after the Nov. 20 deadline for your nominations, we’ll get serious about who deserves this honor. As we read about your candidates, we’ll consider: Who has lifted the spirits of our community? Who has set an example for the rest of our region to follow? Who has enriched the culture of the community through selfless efforts? Who stands out as a top innovator?

We’ve recognized outstanding service annually since 1983 when Marjory Stoneman Douglas was honored for being a champion of the Everglades. In the early years, we scoured the state, and later narrowed our focus to Central Florida.

The Emergency Medicine and Trauma Team at ORMC were our 2016 honorees for saving lives after the Pulse nightclub shooting.

For several years now, readers have helped us choose. Once again, we’re inviting readers to tell us who they think deserves this recognition for 2017 and why. Our choice will be guided by how strong a case can be made for candidates, not by the number of nominations they receive.

Remember, it doesn’t matter whether it’s someone you’ve nominated in past years. It’s a new year.

To weigh in, visit our website, OrlandoSentinel.com/cfoty; send email to insight@orlandosentinel.com (put CFOTY in the subject line); or mail nominations to Editorial Board CFOTY, Orlando Sentinel, 633 N. Orange Ave.,MP-218, Orlando, FL 32801. Again, the deadline for nominations is Nov. 20.

In December, we’ll reveal the finalists, and in January, the winner.