Spencer mayor receives lifetime achievement award from league

SPENCER – The mayor of Spencer has received the James C. Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award from the West Virginia Municipal League.

Mayor Terry Williams, in office nearly 50 years, said he was humbled.

"I wasn't expecting it," Williams said.

The James C. Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award is named after James C. Hunt, a former mayor and councilman in Clarksburg who worked to get the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services to locate in Harrison County.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest individual recognition from the Municipal League.

"I can't get much higher than that," Williams said.

Williams became mayor of Spencer when he was 24 years old. He'll serve a full 50 years at the end of December.

It's been enjoyable, he said.

"It's a nice thing to be able to help people when you can," Williams said.

Being the mayor of a city is among the most high profile offices that can be held, Williams said. People may not know who their state or county representatives are, but everyone knows who the mayor is, he said.

Most of the cities in West Virginia are small, yet the same issues face towns no matter the size, he said.

"We all have the same problems," Williams said.

Williams also has been associated with the Municipal League for 50 years, serving as its president three times in three different decades. Its work with the Legislature and its resources are valuable for cities, Williams said.

"It really helps cities find ways to solve their problems," he said.

The city of Pennsboro was recognized in the Enrichment category in the All-Star Community Awards for the revitalization of Myles Stadium and Sullivan Gymnasium, a community-led effort. The facilities are owned by the city and maintained by the community.

The park includes lighted basketball courts, a quarter-mile walking path, softball and baseball fields and tennis courts.

An awards banquet was held Thursday evening in Charleston.

“The West Virginia Municipal League Annual Awards recognize the innovation, dedication, and leadership taking place in communities of every size across our state,” Susan Economou, executive director of the Municipal League, said. “From transformative community projects to individual public servants whose commitment makes local government stronger, this year’s recipients exemplify the work being done every day to improve the quality of life for West Virginians.”

Other award recipients were: Wheeling for Wilson Lodge at Oglebay Park Resort; Fayetteville for the redevelopment of three former school buildings; Morgantown for the Neighborhood Mosaic Program; Weirton for the transformation of the Panhandle Rail Trail into a regional recreation and tourism destination; Bluefield for the redevelopment of historic properties to expand housing opportunities; Charles Town for the African American Cemetery Memorial Project; Nitro for the development of a year-round pickleball facility; Martinsburg for the transition to a self-funded employee health insurance program; Lewisburg for the innovative funding for its new water treatment plant through; Mayor of the Year to Amber Tatterson, mayor of Point Pleasant; Entrepreneurial Leadership Award with special recognition to Mayor Serafino Nolletti and City Clerk Amber Miller-Belcher of Logan; Vision of Tomorrow Award to mAYOR Melissa Hill of Chesapeake; Councilor Tom Oxley Heart of the Community Award TO Cecil Marson, Bluefield city manager; Quiet Strength Award to Kim Reed, Nitro city manager; Municipal Clerk/Recorder of the Year to Zenda Vance, clerk of Fayetteville; West Virginia Municipal League Hall of Fame inductees Eddie Hardman for 20 years of service as mayor of Anmoore and Anna Harvey for 27 years of service as Anmore town recorder.