ShawneeDispatch.com

Contributed photo by Randy Braley

Saturday’s Shawnee Chamber of Commerce dinner honored Tim Harmon, left, of Harmon Construction Inc., the chamber’s outgoing chairman of the board, and welcomed Jack Wagner of Shawnee Mission Medical Center, the 2011 chairman of the board.

Calm voice, focused mind, quiet confidence, passion for serving the city of Shawnee.

As he worked his way up to naming the 2010 Citizen of the Year, Shawnee Mayor Jeff Meyers used those words to describe the winner, adding, “Isn’t that what being a good citizen is all about?”

Shawnee city manager Carol Gonzales was surprised with the award Saturday night during the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner at the Sheraton Overland Park.

The chamber has bestowed the Citizen of the Year award annually since 1972. The distinction goes to an individual — nominated by chamber members and selected by past recipients — who has worked hard to make Shawnee a better place to live, work and grow.

Meyers, the 2009 Citizen of the Year, said he had seen Gonzales’ “selfless” contributions to the city firsthand.

She works hard each day, contributes to Shawnee’s great reputation in the area and is wonderful at persevering, Meyers said.

A common thread links Gonzales and past winners of the award, Meyers said. They see what could be and work to make it happen.

“They always face the challenges of their time with foresight,” he said.

Gonzales’ husband and three children were with her Saturday night.

When she took the stage, she thanked her co-workers that help her each day and praised their commitment to doing the right thing even when decisions are hard. She also thanked her family for their support and patience, especially when she has to miss activities for meetings or city events.

Gonzales, repeating Meyers’ sentiment about moving to Shawnee from elsewhere, said she, too, was a true “convert.”

“I am very proud to call Shawnee home,” she said.

Saturday’s black tie-optional affair honored Tim Harmon of Harmon Construction Inc., the chamber’s outgoing chairman of the board, and welcomed Jack Wagner of Shawnee Mission Medical Center, the 2011 chairman of the board.

The evening included recognition of various chamber members’ service, as well as silent and live auctions that raised money for the Betty Charlton Scholarship Fund, which supports high school seniors in the community. This year’s theme — Pillars of Shawnee: The Isles of Ancient Greece — was reflected by several costumed attendants and a Greek-inspired dinner menu.

Comments