By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The Chamber of Commerce had a full plate of honors to serve up at its annual Mid-Year Meeting and Luncheon Wednesday.
Because the pandemic canceled this year’s annual meeting in February, the honors usually bestowed then were given out in the summer event, along with those usually handed out in summer.
The 2020 Mid-Year Meeting was held virtually.
The awards celebrated the many ways volunteers help the community blossom.
Phil Hollenbaugh does that by planting hostas. Lots of hostas, and lots of different varieties. Close to 1,000 varieties in Simpson Garden Park have put Bowling Green on the map as having an American Hosta Display Garden, one of the top two in the nation.
For his efforts, Hollenbaugh received the I Love BG Award. All he asks is for people to stop by the garden to view his work.
For Tim Dunn, a funeral director at Dunn Funeral Home, he has hit a home run for his community as a driving force behind youth baseball at Carter Park, fundraising, marketing, maintaining fields and facilities, and organizing tournaments that bring out-of-town teams to BG. He’s was honored with the 2021 Male Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award.
Beatriz Maya, a native of Argentina who found her way to Bowling Green where she was instrumental in the founding of La Conexion, “has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of immigrants and to educate the public and government officials about immigration and human rights,” according to the citation read by Sandy Rowland. She received the Female Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award. (Maya was in Texas visiting family.)
Denise Niese has had a busy two years, as she has helped shepherd the construction of a new senior center in Bowling Green. It’s the latest accomplishment in her 16 years as director of the Wood County Committee on Aging. Along the way ,she has helped nurture other women in the work place.
Kevin Fowler, branch manager of the downtown Key Bank, has supported his team, which is all women, to further their careers in those areas they are particularly interested in. He also “respects the need of employees to have time with their families,” according to the citation read by Judge Matt Reger.
Other award recipients were:
Outstanding Customer service award: Farmers Merchants State Bank.
Small Business of the Year: Pisanello’s Pizza.
The chamber also announced it was establishing a new award in honor of Greg Kegler, who died in May.
The Greg Kegler Volunteerism Award recognizes his devotion to volunteering and contributing to his community. Kegler was devoted to helping others, his sister Veronica Tizler said. “Volunteering is who he was,”
(A story on guest speaker Alexis Klassen will be posted later.)
