Every year the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce awards one of it’s citizens the Thomas B. Herring Community Service Award.
It’s given to an individual who has shown leadership and service at it’s highest levels, locally.
This year’s recipient was announced this afternoon as Galesburg Fire Chief Tom Simkins.
It was presented by last year’s winner Dick Kowalski who credited Simkins as someone always willing to “tackle projects,” doing everything from “leading conversations to setting up chairs.”
Simkins is a 30-year member at Trinity Lutheran Church, a coach and mentor of area students and a Rotarian.
As a member of the Rotary Club, he most recently built and installed a “Little Library” at Full View Point Park.
A visibly suprised Simkins took the podium and humbly deflected a standing ovation by saying, “probably everyone in the room deserved” the award more than him.
“I’m only able to do things because of everybody in the room,” Simkins says. “If anything I like to think I have a can-do attitude which is chief above everything.”
Simkins has been a Galesburg Firefighter for over 30 years spending the last six as Chief.
Mayor John Prithchard also gave the “State of the City” address highlighting challenges and accomplishments from the past year.
Pritchard touched on the East Main Street Underpass project bid being approved, improvements underway at Rotary Park and a $4 million forgivable loan from the Environmental Protection Agency to replace lead water service lines.
