Toni Milbourne

Chronicle Editor

The Bavarian Inn was the setting for the Chamber of Commerce annual banquet honoring new members, the business of the year and Jefferson County’s Distinguished Citizen.

Chamber President Amy Panzarella counted nearly 160 in attendance to witness John Sherwood receive the Distinguished Citizen honor from Mary Burns, advertising director for the Spirit of Jefferson, who sponsors the annual award.

Sherwood, who has been involved with numerous organizations throughout the community and retired from Jefferson Memorial Hospital as its CEO, said he was honored to be recognized with this award.

“(The people who win these awards) show what it takes to make a great community, and I’m honored to join this group of citizens,” Sherwood said. “Thank you for this great honor.”

Sherwood was also recognized as a distinguished citizen in 2012 by the Boy Scouts of Jefferson County. He holds membership in many organizations including the Chamber, the LEPC and the Bolivar-Harpers Ferry District Veterans, to name a few. He is a volunteer with Hospice of the Panhandle, working mainly with veterans enrolled in that program.

Previous winners of the Distinguished Citizen award who were in attendance Thursday evening included Roger Ramey, Locke Wysong Mark Cucuzzella and Dickey Moore.

The George E. Vickers Business Award was presented to Helbing Lipp Recny Architects.

The company, with offices in Charles Town since 1988, has completed many projects for the Board of Education and Jefferson County government.

David Lipp spoke to the crowd saying, “We have done more than 275 projects in West Virginia and 185 of those have been in Jefferson County. In 1988 we began serious work in this county with the Board of Education,” he continued.

“Jefferson County has been a stabilizing force in our practice,” Lipp said. “Through the recession, this county carried both our Virginia (McLean) and Jefferson County offices. Many firms went under but we did not.”

George E. Vickers, for whom the award is named, served as an integral part of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce serving as manager from 1968 to 1992 and then under the new title of Executive Director until his retirement in 1995.