Kay Dabler Named North Webster Tippecanoe Township Chamber’s Person Of The Year
March 10, 2020 at 3:41 a.m.
Kay Dabler Named North Webster Tippecanoe Township Chamber’s Person Of The Year
By David [email protected]
They also didn’t know they were receiving the awards until their names were announced.
The Person of the Year Award was presented by Chamber President Mindy Scaggs and Vice President Emily Shipley to Kay Dabler.
In presenting the award, Scaggs said there were several nominations for the 2019 Person of the Year Award, all of whom were very good candidates.
“But one really stood out and was selected by the Chamber to represent our community as Person of the Year,” Scaggs said. “This person was nominated by a number of people, including two previous recipients of this prestigious award.”
She said Dabler’s family has had property on Webster Lake since 1991. She retired in North Webster in 2005.
Dabler was a full-time teacher from 1966 to 2005 in the Elkhart area, receiving many awards, including Teacher of the Year in 2000. Her family includes two married sons and seven grandchildren.
“Since retiring to North Webster, this person has been involved in many organizations, including Senior Primelife Enrichment Center, where this person is serving as secretary and has given many talks on various topics of interest. To the enjoyment of the SPEC attendees, this person changes their perennial Christmas tree each month with a theme,” Scaggs continued.
She said Dabler’s decorating has spread to the community Christmas tree. Dabler is very active as a member of the Friends of the North Webster Community Public Library, holding many offices across the years, including vice president currently.
Dabler volunteers every week to take old books that have been discarded by the North Webster Library to the Warsaw or Elkhart Goodwills, “which is a thankless and heavy job,” Scaggs said. “This person is willing to do anything for our wonderful job – never saying no, and always does this with humility and a smile.”
Dabler went up to the podium to receive her award to a standing ovation, her eyes full of tears. She simply said, “Whatever I do is out of love.”
The Small Business of the Year Award was presented to Pletcher Insurance, which was started in 1981 in Elkhart, according to Scaggs. It added an office in North Webster in 2000, and “has always been a leader in our community. Always very giving, not just financially, but also very giving of their time in that the owner would allow an employer the time off ... to be able to do Chamber events, attend the different meetings.”
Scaggs said Pletcher Insurance had the kind of “heart” that wants to give to the community and ask what does the community need. The motto of the business is, “Enjoy life, without having to worry about the unexpected.”
Pletcher Insurance services over nine counties.
The Large Business of the Year Award went to ACE Pest Control, which was started in 1938 by the current owner's great-grandfather. In 1970, it got handed down to his son, and then his son. The fourth generation – William Long – attended the Chamber annual dinner with his mother, Elizabeth, a teacher at Wawasee.
Before the awards, Scaggs and Shipley presented former two-year Chamber President Jim Smith with an engraved beer mug.
“For those who may not have known, I have big footsteps to follow, and those would be Jim’s. Yes, literally, but also figuratively,” Scaggs said. “He stepped into the role ... a little blindsided, I think, or whatever, naive, going into it, but he led us, the Chamber, like a champ. He truly is a true leader, and we want to show our appreciation for his two years of leading us with a token of that appreciation.”
Shipley read the engraving on the mug, which states: “Jim Smith, in appreciation of your leadership and dedication, North Webster Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce president, cheers.”
After the dinner and before the presentation of awards, which was held at The Owl’s Nest in North Webster, Scaggs talked about her vision for the Chamber.
“So what I want to focus on is member engagement. I think it might have been something’s that’s been lost a little bit along the way, but I understand it because, life gets busy, it gets hard. These are all volunteers. Everyone has their own life,” Scaggs said. “However, I think it’s important.”
She spoke about the Chamber’s Business After Hours events, which are 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month, and encouraged Chamber members to attend them or host one.
She said she was passionate about the revitalization of North Webster.
“We need businesses in town. Are you guys tired of looking at empty buildings? We need people living here, but to get people living here we’ve got to get affordable housing. We also have to have child care opportunities for those people to go to work. So there’s a lot of opportunity,” she said.
In her first three months as Chamber president, she said she’s been proactive in trying to figure out what those opportunities for North Webster are.
Scaggs has been working with the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. to see about the opportunity of North Webster being a Main Street designation, which would allow the town to apply for grants and receive state funding for revitalization. She emphasized that can’t happen overnight.
Until then, Scaggs said the town can reach for “low-hanging fruit.” She presented the idea of Rock The Block, which she learned about in Elkhart. During Rock The Block, volunteers help clean up a block of the town.
Another idea she came across resulted in Scaggs and Shipley making a quick 90-second video for HGTV’s show “Hometown Takeover.” The show wants to renovate a downtown.
“We are in the running for ‘Hometown Takeover,’” Scaggs said.
After the video was shared, Shipley provided the results of a recent survey which asked Chamber members questions like what they knew about the Chamber, what they’re interested in and what the biggest challenge businesses in North Webster face. The biggest challenge was “seasonal business.”
Martha Stoelting, Chamber board member, reminded everyone that Dixie Day, sponsored by the Chamber, is July 25 and volunteers are needed.
They also didn’t know they were receiving the awards until their names were announced.
The Person of the Year Award was presented by Chamber President Mindy Scaggs and Vice President Emily Shipley to Kay Dabler.
In presenting the award, Scaggs said there were several nominations for the 2019 Person of the Year Award, all of whom were very good candidates.
“But one really stood out and was selected by the Chamber to represent our community as Person of the Year,” Scaggs said. “This person was nominated by a number of people, including two previous recipients of this prestigious award.”
She said Dabler’s family has had property on Webster Lake since 1991. She retired in North Webster in 2005.
Dabler was a full-time teacher from 1966 to 2005 in the Elkhart area, receiving many awards, including Teacher of the Year in 2000. Her family includes two married sons and seven grandchildren.
“Since retiring to North Webster, this person has been involved in many organizations, including Senior Primelife Enrichment Center, where this person is serving as secretary and has given many talks on various topics of interest. To the enjoyment of the SPEC attendees, this person changes their perennial Christmas tree each month with a theme,” Scaggs continued.
She said Dabler’s decorating has spread to the community Christmas tree. Dabler is very active as a member of the Friends of the North Webster Community Public Library, holding many offices across the years, including vice president currently.
Dabler volunteers every week to take old books that have been discarded by the North Webster Library to the Warsaw or Elkhart Goodwills, “which is a thankless and heavy job,” Scaggs said. “This person is willing to do anything for our wonderful job – never saying no, and always does this with humility and a smile.”
Dabler went up to the podium to receive her award to a standing ovation, her eyes full of tears. She simply said, “Whatever I do is out of love.”
The Small Business of the Year Award was presented to Pletcher Insurance, which was started in 1981 in Elkhart, according to Scaggs. It added an office in North Webster in 2000, and “has always been a leader in our community. Always very giving, not just financially, but also very giving of their time in that the owner would allow an employer the time off ... to be able to do Chamber events, attend the different meetings.”
Scaggs said Pletcher Insurance had the kind of “heart” that wants to give to the community and ask what does the community need. The motto of the business is, “Enjoy life, without having to worry about the unexpected.”
Pletcher Insurance services over nine counties.
The Large Business of the Year Award went to ACE Pest Control, which was started in 1938 by the current owner's great-grandfather. In 1970, it got handed down to his son, and then his son. The fourth generation – William Long – attended the Chamber annual dinner with his mother, Elizabeth, a teacher at Wawasee.
Before the awards, Scaggs and Shipley presented former two-year Chamber President Jim Smith with an engraved beer mug.
“For those who may not have known, I have big footsteps to follow, and those would be Jim’s. Yes, literally, but also figuratively,” Scaggs said. “He stepped into the role ... a little blindsided, I think, or whatever, naive, going into it, but he led us, the Chamber, like a champ. He truly is a true leader, and we want to show our appreciation for his two years of leading us with a token of that appreciation.”
Shipley read the engraving on the mug, which states: “Jim Smith, in appreciation of your leadership and dedication, North Webster Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce president, cheers.”
After the dinner and before the presentation of awards, which was held at The Owl’s Nest in North Webster, Scaggs talked about her vision for the Chamber.
“So what I want to focus on is member engagement. I think it might have been something’s that’s been lost a little bit along the way, but I understand it because, life gets busy, it gets hard. These are all volunteers. Everyone has their own life,” Scaggs said. “However, I think it’s important.”
She spoke about the Chamber’s Business After Hours events, which are 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month, and encouraged Chamber members to attend them or host one.
She said she was passionate about the revitalization of North Webster.
“We need businesses in town. Are you guys tired of looking at empty buildings? We need people living here, but to get people living here we’ve got to get affordable housing. We also have to have child care opportunities for those people to go to work. So there’s a lot of opportunity,” she said.
In her first three months as Chamber president, she said she’s been proactive in trying to figure out what those opportunities for North Webster are.
Scaggs has been working with the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. to see about the opportunity of North Webster being a Main Street designation, which would allow the town to apply for grants and receive state funding for revitalization. She emphasized that can’t happen overnight.
Until then, Scaggs said the town can reach for “low-hanging fruit.” She presented the idea of Rock The Block, which she learned about in Elkhart. During Rock The Block, volunteers help clean up a block of the town.
Another idea she came across resulted in Scaggs and Shipley making a quick 90-second video for HGTV’s show “Hometown Takeover.” The show wants to renovate a downtown.
“We are in the running for ‘Hometown Takeover,’” Scaggs said.
After the video was shared, Shipley provided the results of a recent survey which asked Chamber members questions like what they knew about the Chamber, what they’re interested in and what the biggest challenge businesses in North Webster face. The biggest challenge was “seasonal business.”
Martha Stoelting, Chamber board member, reminded everyone that Dixie Day, sponsored by the Chamber, is July 25 and volunteers are needed.
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