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Margaret Gaston, right, who was the 2011 Citizen of the Year, presented this year’s award to Joe Weller. (James Carnes photo)
Monday night, Joe Weller of Kearny was named the Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce 2012 Citizen of the Year.
Weller also received multiple nominations and was cited for his participation in countless volunteer activities including volunteer worker at the Copper Basin Food Bank, member of the Pioneer Day Parade and Electric Light Parade committees and Trustee, Treasurer and Leadership Team member of the Church of the Good Shepherd.
He is also provider of maintenance at the Church of the Good Shepherd’s property and grounds and serves as the coordinator of the NOMAD program. This program involves two teams of retirees each year from throughout the U.S. who travel to Kearny to work on projects for the church and other areas of need in the community. Joe plans all work projects, prepares complete hardcopy specifications for all projects and procures necessary supplies. He also makes many trips out of town to get supplies using his own vehicle during the NOMAD visits
Joe is also a participant in the ADOT highway cleanup program for the area designated to his church and is engineer, conductor and maintenance person for The Good Shepherd Express, a miniature train for youngsters to ride during community events throughout the Copper Basin area.
He is a member of the Town of Kearny’s VIPS (Volunteers in Police Service). As a VIP, he patrols Kearny, assists in traffic control when necessary and delivers Town Council packets.
Other activities include performing maintenance on the rock waterfall located on Alden Rd. as a continuing member of the Kearny 50th Year Anniversary Committee. He has donated his time and use of his personal vehicle to make round trips to Eloy to pick up garbage barrels for the Town; traveled to Tucson to purchase parts for lights at the Town Yard and then installed the parts to make the lights functional again.
He also designed and installed the shade ramada at the Kearny Pool.
Besides volunteering the above activities, Joe also assists neighbors and friends who may need a little help in situations such as rides to medical appointments, airing up vehicles tires, vacation house watches and grounds upkeep.
It was the consensus of all who wrote nomination letters for Joe that he deserved the COY award for all his unselfish giving to the community.
Other nominees this year were Amanda Kelley, Martina Burnam and Rita Aranda-Pina.
Last year’s Citizen of the Year, Margaret Gaston, presented the award at a dinner held at Rosalia’s in Kearny.
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