photo by Laura Johnson

Karen White and Laeman Butcher, above, admire the Citizen of the Year award together. The award was named for Butcher and given to White at the Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Soup-A-Licious Winter Bazaar Friday night.

Like father, like daughter

White given chamber Citizen of the Year award named for her dad

By Laura Johnson | Dadeville Record

Published Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Laeman Butcher is known for his work in the Dadeville area.

Year after year he takes the lead for civic organizations, political campaigns and special community events. And, year after year, he is recognized for his work with personal accolades, media attention and rewards, but his name will never again be called to receive the Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year award.

Instead, the award will be named for him. Members of the chamber renamed the award Saturday at their annual business meeting.

“We were talking about the candidates for the Citizen of the Year and Larry Whitfield just said ‘Let’s just give it to Butcher; he deserves it every year,’” Butcher’s daughter, Karen White, said. “Larry got me thinking … Dad’s name is always up for Citizen of the Year and he does a lot for our community. So I said why don’t we just name it after him, and everyone went ‘Wow, yes, lets do it.’”

White, who surprised her father with the announcement at the meeting Saturday, also received a surprise. Shortly after making the announcement, she was named the first recipient of the Laeman Butcher Citizen of the Year award.

Both father and daughter said they were shocked by the recognition.

“For people to put me in the same category as my dad is really humbling. It’s going to make me a better person to try to continue to fill those shoes,” White said.

Additional awards were also given out at the event. Jason Hilyer was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Wade Langley was named Volunteer Firefighter of the Year, The Red Door was named Business of the Year and Michael Carter was named Business Person of the Year.

In addition to attending the award presentation, participants also had a little fun. They ate all-you-can-eat servings of chili and vegetable soup, were entertained by live music, and displays by Dadeville retailers.

The event was the first of its kind and organizers named it the Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce Soup-A-Licious Winter Bazaar.

Also at the meeting former chamber president Charles B. Ogburn passed the gavel to Toni Adcok, who will serve as president in 2010.

The chamber of commerce named other members to serve as executive officers and board members for 2010. Larry Whitfield was named first vice president, Karen White was named second vice president, Virginia Fuller was named treasurer and Carla Berry was named executive secretary.

Laeman Butcher, John Ferguson, Peggy Bullard, Sandra Carlisle, Jim Yerkey, Patrick Cooley, Wayne Washburn and Mike Ingram, were named board members.

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