Mary Elgar named Mt. Pleasant Chamber’s 2019 Citizen of the Year

MT. PLEASANT - Getting recognized as Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance's Citizen of the Year seems to be a family sport for the Elgars. Mary Elgar followed in her father's footsteps Thursday evening at the Chamber's banquet and was named the Chamber's 2019 Citizen of the Year award.

Elgar, who was born and raised in the town, said she was 'totally surprised” when her name was announced. As she approached the stage to receive the award, she noticed her siblings, who had traveled from across the Midwest, standing at the front of the room, another unexpected surprise.

'I was totally amazed … It's very special, and my brothers and sisters are here. I was like ‘woah,'” she said.

In announcing the award, the Chamber's executive vice president, Kristi Ray, explained that Chamber members make nominations for Citizen of the Year in October and a recipient is then selected by the board out of those nominations.

'Nominees are citizens who are living and/or working in the Mt. Pleasant area who have had a significant impact on the community through their volunteer and charitable activities,” Ray said.

Elgar was nominated by Mt. Pleasant Community School District's superintendent John Henrikson. In his nomination, he pointed to Elgar's 'expertise and leadership,” which has helped the community achieve great things including the passage of the bond leading to the construction of the new Henry County Jail, reintroduction of agriculture education at Mt. Pleasant High School, securement of a grant for the construction of pickleball courts at Mt. Pleasant Middle School and a successful voter campaign for restoration projects at the Union Block building.

'Mary Elgar has tirelessly given of her time and her talents to fundraising campaigns that have lead to securing to hundreds of thousands of dollars for the city of Mt. Pleasant and Mt. Pleasant Community District. Her can-do attitude is inspiring to all and she backs it up with her handwork and her attention to details,” Ray read of Elgar's nomination.

Elgar's father, Lany, was also a recipient of the award in 1984. In her acceptance speech, Elgar remembered helping her mother quickly travel back from Arizona in order to make the Chamber banquet.

'It was really funny to have my dad figure out who was getting the award and then to have my mom walk in so this is really nice. I really enjoy all the work on these projects It's really wonderful for the growth of Mt. Pleasant. We want to do everything we can to make our community attractive to the people that live here and people that will someday live here,” Elgar said.

Speaking on Elgar's impact on the Union Block restoration efforts, Lisa Oetken, Mt. Pleasant Main Street's director, said Elgar has helped with grant writing for the last eight years and was 'very instrumental in raising funds.”

Elgar also said seeing improvements and movement on the Union Block project has been incredibly gratifying.

'It's really amazing … (all the projects) have been fun, I've worked with a lot of wonderful people. It was really satisfying for the Union Block project because Lisa and I have worked on it for so long. That was such a huge thing,” Elgar said.

Elgar added that her desire to continue to help the town stems from her understanding of what it means to live in a small town, a value that was passed down to her by her parents.

'In a small town, you have to be involved. Plus it's a great way to meet people. The benefits are huge … my parents always said living in a small town is not a spectator sport,” she said.