Reprint from the Progress Times - September 5, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved
Nominations sought for Mission citizens awards
Nominations are now open for Mission’s Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Mr. Mission and First Lady of Mission. This year’s citizen awards will be presented at the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce annual banquet by the Progress Times, sponsor for the awards.
This is the fourth year the citizen awards presentations will be made at the chamber banquet. Previously, the Progress Times coordinated the annual Mission Awards Showcase banquet where the awards were presented annually.
"We are pleased to partner with the chamber on this event to honor Mission’s finest citizen who have done much to serve our community. The citizen awards give the community an opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of our leading citizens who have helped make Mission a stronger, more vibrant community," said Jim Brunson, publisher of the Progress Times.
Nomination deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, September 26. Nominations may be submitted in person at the Progress Times office at 1217 N. Conway or by mail to Citizen Awards, c/o Progress Times, P.O. Box 399, Mission, Texas 78573. Nominations may also be submitted by email to awards@progresstimes.net or by fax to 956-585-2304.
Man and Woman of the Year
Selection criteria for Man of the Year and Woman of the Year are as follows:
To be recognized for superior service either for a significant project or continuing broad service to the community in the past two to 10 years. This may be for work with one organization or for work in several different areas or organizations. The combined duration of service should span no less than two years.
May be for work in civic, church or community groups, or may be for exceptional professional or vocational performance if these labors have had significant impact on the citizens of Mission.
Must be a resident of Mission or work in Mission.
Service will be measured in terms of its impact on the entire community as a whole as well as to a particular organization.
Mr. Mission and First Lady
Selection criteria for Mr. Mission and First Lady of Mission are the following:
Must have provided long term service to Mission through a civic or church group or in a professional or vocational endeavor or through charitable or benevolent service to the community or a combination of these factors.
Service most be ongoing and cover a minimum of 11 years.
Length of service, character and integrity will be among considerations.
Value of service to the community in general is the primary factor.
Must live, work or have significant business interests in Mission.
Nomination Procedure
Nominations must include the nominee’s name, address and phone number as well as the qualifications of the individual. Qualifications may include positions and offices held, number of years of service and a description of the service the individual has given. Also, list any honors the individual has received, whether civic, church, or professional. Include a description of what is particularly outstanding about this individual. Also, include the name and telephone number of the person submitting the nomination.
Nomination forms are available at the Progress Times office and on the newspaper’s Web site: www.progress times. net. Forms may be requested by fax: 956-585-2304 or email: awards@progresstimes.net.
Who Makes the Selections?
Honorees for the citizen awards are not chosen by the Progress Times nor the Mission Chamber of Commerce. Instead, citizen committees, composed of past recipients of each award, are appointed to review all nominations and make the final selections from those nominated. Any person who works or resides in Mission can submit a nomination.
Nominations were kept on file from last year’s selection process, and while those individuals’ names will be considered again this year, interested citizens are encouraged to submit updates or additional information regarding recent accomplishments of these individuals.
Last year’s award recipients were June K. Brann, First Lady of Mission; Pat Townsend Jr., Mr. Mission; Jessica Ochoa, Woman of the Year, and Joe Flores, Man of the Year.
The date for this year’s Mission Chamber banquet has not been announced, but is expected to be held early in October.
Progress Times Man Of The Year
Past Recipients
Ray Landry
Jim Miller
Miguel Olivarez
W.G. Morris
D.L. Rankin
Otis K. Smith
Frank Coulter
V.D. “Harp Anderson
Felix Staffel
Dr. Charles Mims
Bob Howell
Frank Perez
Dr. Kenneth White
Ralph Findley
Bill Warbritton
Warren Sutter
Charles Langston, Sr.
Sam Nixon
L.C. Chastain
Msgr. Dan Lanning
Carlos Martinez
Tom Landry
Kika de la Garza
Robert H. Wicks
Rigoberto Rodriguez
Roscoe Watkins
C.Y. Mills
Joe Summers
Clark Spikes, Jr.
Arnaldo Ramirez, Sr.
Ben Cavazos
Joe Correa
Norton Suter
Pat Townsend, Jr.
Mike Birdwell
Gerald Cook
J.D. Villarreal
Brad Findley
Norberto Salinas
E.E. Zweifel
Bobby Valadez
Harlan Woods
Hector Cavazos
Lauro Solis
Rick Acevedo
Paul Rodriguez
Dan Gerlach
Ciro Ochoa, Jr.
Eduardo Gomez
Charles Zey
Ruben Plata
Joe Flores
Progress Times Woman Of The Year
Past Recipients
Linda Zahnow
Betty Bundy
Mary Glen Hodgin
Dina Trevino
Ruth Perez
Elena Barrera
Clara Bell Harrop
Judith Femat Rodriguez
Linda Castaneda
Gen Long
Adela Ortega
Estella Salinas
Connie Garza
Eddie Letha Hughes
Lupita Montoya
Genoveva Avila
Kathleen Mowery
Minnie Rodgers
Berta Pena
Anne Whitfield
Jessica Ochoa
Progress Times Mister Mission
Past Recipients
Arnaldo Ramirez, Sr.
Genaro Vela
Jim Miller
Ben Cavazos, Sr.
Richard Walsh
Carl Waitz
C.E. “Charlie” Langston
Dr. Kenneth White
Robert H. Wicks
Robert Howell
Roscoe Watkins
Warren Suter
Carlos Martinez
Neal King
Arturo Guerra
Ross Smiley
Bobby Valadez
Vernon Hill, Jr.
Norberto Salinas
Pat Townsend Jr.
Progress Times First Lady of Mission
Past Recipients
Mrs. Helen Eppright
Mrs. Dorothy Hill
Mrs. Opal White
Mrs. Genevieve Jeffries
Mrs. Alfreda Daniel
Mrs. Mary Robertson
Mrs. Ruth Langston
Mrs. Olive Held
Mrs. Juanita Whittlesey
Mrs. Quita Brazeal
Mrs. Ollie O’Grady
Mrs. Norma Andis
Mrs. Maurine Duncan
Mrs. Amanda Balthrope
Mrs. Freddie Saunders
Mrs. Marie MacDonald
Mrs. Felicia Currie
Mrs. Verna Gray
Mrs. Bernice Baker
Mrs. Esther Davis
Mrs. Harriet Brewer
Mrs. Delia Dusek
Dr. Cleo Dawson
Mrs. Zeola Thompson
Patty Johnson
Brigitte Waaser
Lucy Wallace
Mary Compton
Helen M. Hare
Juanita Speer Farley
Virginia Townsend
Vivian Thompson
Betty Watkins
Pat Gossett
Nancy Shary
Maude Wicks
Wilmuth Morgan
Elizabeth Ferrell
Rosalinda Gonzalez
Maria Lydia Rodriguez
J.B. Townsend
June K. Brann