Granville Rec District director given top Rotary Club honor
A passion for recreation and community are assets that earned Andy Wildman one of the Rotary Club of Granville's top honors — the Vocational Service Award.
Wildman was presented the accolade, annually given by the club since 1993, at its Dec. 5 meeting. The award goes to Granvilleans, whether Rotarians or not, who practice high ethical standards in the workplace and exhibit a high caliber of professionalism, enthusiasm, work ethic, commitment to service and vocational excellence.
Wildman is the director of the Granville Recreation District since May 2010, its first full-time leader, building the new organization "from the ground up," said Lesa Miller, recently retired programs director for the GRD. Wildman was also Granville Rotary president in 2017-18 and was president of the Granville Arts Boosters as well as being a guest lecturer for Denison University’s Health, Exercise and Sport Study major. He has also been a presenter at the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association’s annual conference, Miller said.
She pointed out his passion for the arts surfacing as an Ohio University alumnus and former member for the OU Marching 110.
"His dynamic personality and love of community are second to none," she added. "He truly cares about contributing to Granville and making our village the best it can be."
Rotarians Sue and Chris Cherney had this to say about Wildman: "Chris and I think of Andy as a visionary who does not let setbacks dampen his enthusiasm and determination."
Melanie Schott, who grew up around Wildman in their hometown of St. Clairsville, Ohio, praised Wildman for his skills employed at the GRD.
"The first being his ability to understand and relate to the public sector as a public employee, and also the private sector world of small business and corporation settings," Schott said. "I think the success he has experienced in relationship-building, community trust, and defining recreational programming are extensive due to his ability to operate effectively in both the public and private arenas."
"Whether it be Andy partnering with the school district, village-township government, or business sponsorship on upgrading a field, his motives are not self-promoting, but unwavering in his commitment to focus wholly on this Licking County community," Schott said.
His energy and enthusiasm, she said, include increasing arts booster membership by 70 percent in its first two years. And he found time to aid in fundraising effort for the new athletic stadium at Granville High School.
Schott adds that Granville gets a "two for one" deal with Wildman, pointing to "Andy’s ability to think strategically and act as a visionary for the future of recreational activities, while at the same time holding down the fort on day-to-day operations. Andy excels in operating in both of these worlds simultaneously. For some companies this entails two separate positions."
"R-E-S-P-E-C-T, grace, tolerance, perception, collective admiration, and goodwill are all attributes Andy holds that benefit not only the GRD and Granville schools, but our community overall," she said.
Wildman said he was humbled with the award, given the list of past recipients he had previously seen.
"I was very surprised to even have my name mentioned in the category of the people who are on that list," he said. "I never dreamed that I would be considered, let alone honored."
Information submitted by Rotary Club of Granville.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Rec District director given top Rotary Club honor
