LOUDONVILLE – Tom Young, of Loudonville, was recently honored by the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum as the museum’s Volunteer of the Year.
Announcing the recognition, museum curator Kenny Libben noted that Young has been a longtime supporter of the museum, and last year volunteered to fill the role of facilities manager, which had been vacant since the retirement of longtime facilities manager Ken Utterback a year prior. As facilities manager, Young oversees the maintenance of the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, archival facility, historic Workman Cabin and grounds. Libben said Young has gone above and beyond the traditional scope of the role and taken the lead on numerous projects to help beautify the museum, including landscaping, refreshing the parking lot, repainting exterior finishes and more.
According to Young, one of his favorite features of the museum is the annual Speaker Series.
"The Speaker Series gives you a chance to listen to someone that is an expert in their field and help you relive the past, teaching important stories," Young said. "The series does a great job of bringing in large crowds, including lots of people from other towns and introduces them to our village."
The Speaker Series is held annually in the fall and spring and has been recognized as one of the top educational series in the state with some events drawing over 400 attendees, and others being filmed as part of the "American History TV" broadcast on C-SPAN.
Young’s achievement was highlighted at the museum’s annual meeting, where longtime volunteer and retired board member Virginia Reynolds was also recognized with Honorary Lifetime Membership for her service. Leslie Braden, who previously served as a trustee, was elected as president, replacing Aimee Ross who served multiple terms in that role and will transition to the role of trustee. Dave Spreng, of McKay, was re-elected as vice president while Jim Gordon, of Perrysville, and Laurie Bower, of Shreve, were elected as new trustees while outgoing trustee Steve Hughes was thanked for his three years of service. Braden, Spreng, Ross, Gordon and Bower join Treasurer Brad Porter, Secretary Nick Atterholt, Curator Kenny Libben and trustees Ken Fowler and Gail Hall on the museum’s board of directors. The annual meeting was held at the historic Ohio Theatre, where following awards and elections the membership was treated to a private screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic film "The Birds."
Each year, the museum accepts donations in honor of the Volunteer of the Year, with the recognized individual selecting a project or program close to their heart. At his request, all donations made in honor of Tom Young will be earmarked to support the Speaker Series. Donations can be made online at crfmuseum.com/donate or by check payable to the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum and sent to the museum at 203 E. Main St., Loudonville, OH 44842. The museum is an independent nonprofit and does not receive government funding. As a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, donations to the museum are tax-deductible.
