WE WILL BE POSTING CURRENT AND PAST AWARDEES SHORTLY

With the Irvington Heritage awards, we bridge the gap between the past and the present and honor those who continue the traditions of our community.

The Irvington Heritage Awards are generally presented at a special reception for the honored awardees at the Bona Thompson Memorial Center in December of each year.

The J. Craig Hitner Community Enhancement Award

Irvington’s first residents were dedicated to creating an enriched community.  Nestled within a larger city, Irvington remains a leader in community-driven efforts to this day.  Craig Hitner, an Irvington resident and landscape architect, dedicated his talents to improving Central Indiana’s community green spaces, both public and private.

The J. Craig Hitner Community Enhancement Award recognizes those who contribute to the physical improvement of our community with new and sustained efforts that revitalize our existing community assets.

The Robert Phelps Business Leadership Award

Irvington’s business leaders have long shaped the nature of Indianapolis commerce and industry. Robert Phelps, a prominent Irvington businessman, not only contributed to the success of the Irvington business community for many years, but also was very active in community affairs.

The Robert Phelps Business Leadership Award recognizes a company whose success as an industry leader is just as important as its good corporate citizenship.

The Hilton U. Brown Lifetime Achievement Award

Hilton U. Brown, first a reporter, then long-time editor of the Indianapolis News, was a steadfast supporter of the arts and culture of Irvington and Indianapolis.  For nearly fifty years, Brown, a Butler College graduate, served as President of the Butler University Board of Directors.  Under Brown’s leadership, Butler thrived.  He played a key role in transitioning the school to a modern institution on the Indianapolis north side.

The Hilton U. Brown Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who display a continued dedication to improving the quality of life in Irvington.

The Jane Dichmann Award For Outstanding Service

The Bona Thompson Memorial Center is a building those of us in this room love and cherish – the society and the community would not and could not have raised over a million dollars to renovate it if they hadn’t seen the inherent value of saving it - but maintaining Bona is a labor of love.

The Jane Dichmann Award for Outstanding Service recognizes those who make a significant contribution of their time, talent and resources to benefit this center, the Historical Society, and the community at large.

The Dr. Kingsbury Healthy Neighbor Award

The Dr. Kingsbury Healthy Neighbor Award recognizes those who contribute to the health and quality of life for our community through outreach, programs and sustained efforts to improve the overall lifestyle of our neighbors.

The Bona Thompson Memorial Center
January 22, 2011