Jefferson Matters: Main Street held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Party Thursday, Feb. 20 at The Forge Fellowship Hall. It was a special night to thank all the volunteers involved on the board of directors and the teams. Each team meets monthly and works on projects throughout the year. In 2019, more than 5,200 volunteer hours were logged and submitted to Main Street Iowa from Jefferson.
Jefferson Matters board president Jamie Daubendiek kicked off the program with his thanks to all the volunteers. The Great American Main Street Award semi-finalist designation was a highlight of a successful year and was due to many volunteers being involved. JM:MS submitted 13 nominations for Main Street Iowa awards this year out of 13 categories and Daubendiek acknowledged each one. Click here to see a list of the award nominations.
Each year, the chairperson from each team selects a person or group to be honored. Here are the honorees along with the commentary as each were announced.
Design: Ann Ober and Deb Kucerak – These two women took on another Design project with gusto – the new cluster planters that are a block off the square in all directions. They measured, parked, studied and thought through every detail of these planters. They worked with Shane Olson of Olson Ironworks to determine the size, placement and quantity. The two women walked around deciding on the placement of each set and talked with the building owners. They worked with the City as they installed eight sets of planters.
Economic Vitality: Dan and Britt Meythaler are a great team. They have always stepped up to offer their beautiful photography studio for hosting events such as the volunteer party for the past two years and a huge dinner when hosting Silicon Valley execs in December of 2018. Another big project of 2019 was the Dream Big Gathering. Both Dan and Britt were involved in conference calls to make arrangements for this event last September. They worked out details at Wild Rose Jefferson and gathered many volunteers to make it a super successful event. The Meythalers are great advocates for Jefferson as examples of people who chose to locate their business and family here.
Organization: Tracy Deal is the person responsible for behind the scenes details that make our events successful. From hosting Silicon Valley execs to volunteer parties to Family Feud fundraisers to hosting the Main Street workshop last October to The Forge grand opening move to the rec center, Deal can juggle many balls and comes in with needed trash cans, towels, tables, chairs, stages, flowers, etc. to make the event happen. Her cool and calm temperament is the perfect fit for our Organization Team.
Promotion: Congratulations to Angie Hueser for being selected as the outstanding volunteer for the Promotion Team. Angie has been involved with Amazing Race, Trick or Treat Around the Square, Scarecrow Invasion, and many other events, and for doing an outstanding job for five years as our leader for the Christmas Tree Lighting. Her enthusiasm and “let’s do this” attitude has been an inspiration to us all.
Tower View Team: Tower View Team would like to recognize Angie Gingery as our outstanding volunteer. However, even before Angie was an actual member of our team she had been a huge supporter and cheerleader for Tower View Team from her embrace of roof top art, Sally’s Alley, to Dreams Matter, to yarnbombing a tree, to even helping set the first piano back up in the pouring rain when it was blown completely over in a rainstorm after a frantic phone call to attending all of the pre-planning workshops for Arch Alley.
Gingery chaired the first Scarecrow Invasion: Movie Edition this last fall without hesitation. And she did with all of her enthusiasm.
Leadership Award honoree Jeff Lamoureux – Deb McGinn shared how much she has enjoyed working with Jeff Lamoureux throughout this last year. No matter what situation or idea was thrown at him or what crazy thing he was asked to wear or hold or say, he has been a trooper through close to 40 videos for Main Street.
The merchants especially all appreciate what he has done to advertise their businesses and events.
“So from your camera operator, congratulations! Such a well-deserved award as you really have become the face of Jefferson Matters: Main Street and really embody the spirit of volunteerism that makes Main Street what it is and people all want to be Jeff from Jefferson but we know there can only be one Jeff,” McGinn said.
