Nominate the 2009 Talk of the Town Citizen, Business and Organization of the Year
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
With the year winding down its final hours, it is time once again to partake in a little Talk of the Town tradition – picking your Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year and Non-Profit Organization of the year.
Here’s a little recap about last year’s winners: 
Kelley Sheiss was selected as the 2008 Citizen of the Year – having received several votes from local residents impressed with her sense of engagement in the community and volunteerism for numerous organizations. One nominator wrote of Sheiss, “She leads the Leadership Whitley County with professionalism and enthusiasm. Kelley helps whenever needed.” Another person wrote about her involvement in the local 4-H program and past work with the Whitley County United Way.
Other nominees for last year’s Citizen of the Year included Barry Yeakle, Judy Couch, June Keiser, Candice Yeakle, Susie Sexton, Jim Banks, Tom Drew and several others.
The CC Deli was selected as the Business of the Year with voters remarking how much they enjoy the local eatery. On nominator wrote, “The Deli is such a bright spot downtown. The owners have a terrific sense of what customers want and have made changes as needed to keep them happy. We love the Deli!” Another nominator mentioned their good service and great food as reasons they felt it should be selected as last year’s business of the year.
Other nominees last year included: J&J Insurance, Brew Ha, Lake City Bank, Snippers, Hair Happenings and several others.
The 2008 Non-Profit Organization of the Year was Leadership Whitley County. One nominator wrote, “Leadership Whitley County serves as a place to grow leaders, inspires others and provides resources for other non-profits and the community.” Others echoed these sentiments writing that they felt the organization does a wonderful job of preparing local residents for leadership positions throughout the community.
Other nominees for last year’s Organization of the Year included: Whitley County Community Foundation, Salvation Army, Columbia City Rotary Club, The Woodlands Senior Center, local food pantries and others.
Now, we need your help to pick the winners for this year.
You can follow this link HERE to complete the survey in a secure location online. Or, if you prefer, send us an email outlining the names of the citizen, business and non-profit organization you’d like to vote for. We also encourage you to give a few reasons about why you think they deserve to win the 2009 awards.
The contest will continue until Monday, January 4, at midnight. Awards will be announced as quickly as possible thereafter.
To submit your nominations via email, send an email to: jennifer@talkofthetownwc.com