EDITORIAL: Community needs strong leaders to be successful
Jun. 23—To be successful, a community needs strong leaders.
We aren't just talking about elected officials, but private citizens as well — those people who do the things that make our community better. They don't do them for the glory but because it's the right thing to do.
Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce's recent annual meeting and awards banquet was full of lessons in leadership. Although those honored didn't seek the recognition, others determined they deserved praise and for the public to know what they have done for many years.
Citizen of the Year Janet Cordell has been a longtime and outspoken proponent of making our community healthier. She was a key volunteer in Enid's COVID-19 vaccination campaign. She also is coordinator of Enid Community Clinic and women's clinic. It is impossible to figure the number of lives she has touched all these years.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dan Dillingham in memoriam.
The Enid native, who died March 21, owned and operated Dillingham Insurance for 67 years and was involved in countless community and charitable organizations in Enid and beyond. One of Dillingham's passions included helping advance higher education in Enid and Northwest Oklahoma as he was instrumental in the 1987 Phillips University sale/leaseback campaign and was involved in establishing branch campuses in Enid for Northern Oklahoma College and Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Business Person of the Year was given to Kyle Williams.
Three big things stood out that led to the selection of Williams, who is president of Hammer-Williams Company and Jiffy Trip: his development of The District; the development and construction of two new Jiffy Trip stores in Enid; and co-chairing the annual fund-drive for the United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma, which also blew through its $800,000 goal last year.
Volunteer of the Year was presented to Crystal Harmon, who has served as the treasurer for Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce for the past 11 years and is tax director at Wymer Brownlee Wealth Strategies.
In addition, Harmon is a member of American and Oklahoma Institutes of Public Accountants and Oklahoma Society of Accountants. She served as a board member for Hedges Regional Speech and Hearing Center, Main Street Enid, NWOSU Foundation and Jayla Alexis Tuck Cancer Foundation.
Also, we can look back through the years to all the men and women named finalists and recipients of the Pillar of the Plains.
All of these people are all examples of what good leadership looks like.
We need to continue to encourage folks who want to step into leadership roles. There are plenty of opportunities. Sometimes it starts with community service through your job. Sometimes it starts out with volunteering for a cause you are passionate about.
