Karen Hart
Karen Hart is a three-time nominee for this award, and this is only the fourth year of the award’s existence, which says a lot about her service to the community. Her service to the community reaches far beyond the walls of Skowhegan Savings as she has been an active member of several organizations throughout the community. She has been a Rotary Club member since 2000, a former Rotary President and in 2008 a Paul Harris Fellow. She has been a lynchpin in the success of the Main Street Skowhegan program and the Run of River project taking leadership positions in both organizations. She is also shown great leadership in other groups including the Maine Public Relations Council, Lake George Regional Park, Skow-pendous and of course the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce. She is always willing to give a hand and her office door is continually open to those that value her advice and guidance. She is truly a gifted leader in the community and her hard work has helped bring many positive changes to the area. Congratulations on your nomination.

Walter Hight
It’s hard to quantify the impact of certain people to a community as there isn’t just one or two things to point to. Some people are so embedded in what makes the community what it is, that it is hard to imagine what a region would be like without their impact. Alton Whittemore was an individual like that, and so is Walter Hight. To mention his impact as only a savvy businessman would be to undermine his influence all together. There is rarely a person who hasn’t been touched one way or another by Walter’s generosity to the community, and what’s more is many don’t realize it was his doing. For someone so visible and universally known, he is relatively elusive when it comes to gaining recognition for the support he gives Skowhegan- but the lack of acknowledgement doesn’t make those around him any less grateful for it. He has developed a business that prides itself on honesty and straightforward action and that exemplifies Walter as well. Being the leader of one of the most successful businesses in the region over so many years takes perseverance and dedication, but it also takes knowing your customer, and few know the pulse of Skowhegan residents quite like he does, which is why his opinion is also so respected. Although he, like the rest of the nominees in this category, don’t want the recognition, it’s hard to find anyone more deserving for giving back to the Skowhegan area. Congratulations on your nomination.

Chris Perkins
The man of many hats, Chris Perkins has been involved with the Skowhegan community for decades through his work with Kyes Insurance and Whittemore’s Real estate not to mention is service to the community. Chris has been influential in numerous organizations through the years with a particular focus on economic development movements. Chris has shown excellent leadership qualities throughout his years on the Board of SEDC, the DBA, Main Street Skowhegan and a town selectman to name a few. He is the ever-present face in trying to move the community forward, whether that’s at his litany of Board meetings or his dancing on the Skowhegan Opera House stage. More than that though, Chris is one of the most respected voices in the area when it comes to looking towards the future and where the region should be headed. Some people lead with an iron fist, some people lead through deception- Chris leads through finding the collective solution. Chris works tirelessly trying to collaborate with many individuals because he knows not just one person can make a change in community, and his vision is to get the community to do it together. It would seem that through this work that Chris would have made enemies by helping make tough decisions through the years on controversial subjects- but it is quite the opposite. He is one of the most-approachable and well-liked people in the area, always willing to give advice and he’s not afraid to do the work himself. It is oddly appropriate that Chris owns Alton’s former real estate branch along with Van Ames, because together they both share some of Alton’s best characteristics of leadership through cooperation and putting the community first. It’s that mindset and an attitude that Chris embodies that makes him such a deserving nominee. Congratulations on your nomination.

Becky Richardson
Becky Richardson can best be described as a guiding light, as she has been one for nearly as many years as any of us have known her. Being a native of Skowhegan, there are very few people who don’t know or haven’t had the pleasure of spending time and being around Becky. For 17 years Becky gave guidance as a 3rd grade teacher, and since buying it in 1989, she now holds class in the Blueberry Cupboard. Although the setting may be different she still finds herself trying to help set the course for individuals and the community. From her shop of Maine-made items, and must-have gifts, Becky has become an anchor business in the Skowhegan downtown and a welcome door for whomever enters. Her community service extends to the formation of the Downtown Business Association and lately with her tireless efforts with Main Street Skowhegan. For the chamber Becky helps with making gift baskets and lending advice and guidance as needed, which some days is more than others- it’s a service she provides to many. Few towns are blessed with an individual who is so warm and welcoming and someone who has given back to the community for almost her entire life. Some success can not be quantified in dollars and cents, only by the breadth of the impact the individual has made, and in this sense Becky Richardson has left an indelible impression on all of us. Congratulations on your nomination.

And the winner is Karen Hart