Local residents awarded Governor's Volunteer Awards

Numerous Decorah residents, and one from Calmar, were recently awarded the Governor's Volunteer Award. The award ceremony was conducted Friday afternoon on the UNI campus in Cedar Falls. Local recipients were nominated by the following organizations: Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, Northland Agency on Aging, Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation, and The Department of Transportation.

Award recipients included: Norma Bappe, Peggy Beatty, Dennis Carter, Tom Counters, Joyce Epperly, Ann Glesne, John Glesne, Joan Hagen, Georgie Klevar, Ken Kubesh, Pat Lepa, Ilse Meyer (Calmar), Drew Pellett, Sharon Rossman, Mary Lou Rauk-Snitker, Mary Timmerman, Naomi Winter.

"Group Awards" were presented to Friends of Decorah Fish Hatchery, NICC, and Pinnacle Financial Group.
 
The Governor's Volunteer Awards (GVA) program was created in 1982, with inaugural awards presented in 1983. The program has grown from a small program only available to state agencies to its present function of providing all Iowa nonprofit, charitable, and government organizations with a way to honor local volunteers with a prestigious state-level recognition award. Criteria for the award includes:

• demonstrated exceptional commitment to volunteerism by helping with a special project or ongoing activities
• demonstrated exemplary leadership, creativity, cooperation and hard work in their service to others
• made an outstanding contribution to state or community through volunteer service