Washington Chamber of Commerce holds annual dinner

RIVERSIDE - The banquet hall at the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort was alive with applause Monday night and two standing ovations as the family of Nancy Adrian made their way to the stage to accept the Citizen of the Year Award on her behalf.

The Washington Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet and honored one citizen and one business while Main Street Washington celebrated volunteer of the year and Washington Economic Development Group (WEDG) handed out three Harvey Holden Outstanding Service Awards.

Adrian served as the director of the Washington County Extension Office for 17 years until her death in December 2019. The award was introduced by Washington High School Principal Erik Buchholz who recognized her many accomplishments including her work in naming the Ding Darling Highway, Brighton Whoopee Days and establishing the Washington County Freedom Rock.

'Nancy Adrian was truly a shining example of humility, generosity, love and community spirit. Washington County and its residents are truly better for having the honor of calling Nancy one of its own,” he said. 'Those of us that knew Nancy know that she would smile and be humbled by this honor and then she would get right back to work.”

Accepting the award on behalf of the family was her daughter, Amy Green, who accepted amid a standing ovation.

'To have a room like this stand for someone so special to us is amazing. If Nancy were here tonight she would wow you with her sense of humor and her smile and her dagger blue eyes. I don't have any of those things but I have had the privilege of knowing her for my whole life and I worked down the hall form her for 10 years and I could not have asked for, prayed for or wished for a better mentor,” she said. 'I know what she would say tonight. She would say, ‘Thank you for working with me. Thank you for being a community who cares about each other, who cares about the programs that each other is doing, for being a resource to the extension office, for going on board with my crazy ideas like the Ding Darling Highway, for supporting each other and caring. And I know that she would definitely say, ‘To this community and this entire county, thank you for taking care of (my) cowoerks and (my) family in the last two months.' It's been amazing to be on the receiving end and thank you will never be enough.”

The business of the year award was given to Hills Bank, of Washington. The award was accepted by Janelle Johnson, First Vice President of Commercial Banking.

'We are so humbled to earn this award tonight and it would not be possible without the great community that we are in,” she said. 'We are so fortunate to be surrounded by great communities that support us and each other.”

Main Street Washington honored Tim Elliot as volunteer of the year and WEDG honored Open Gates Group, the Washington YMCA and the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.