Photo by Eric Ayres Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott and his wife, Cassandra, pose Tuesday night at Oglebay’s Wilson Lodge. Elliott received the James C. Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award during the West Virginia Municipal League’s awards ceremony during its 54th annual conference.

WHEELING — With less than a year left to finish out his second and final term as the city of Wheeling’s mayor, Glenn Elliott had no idea that his peers from throughout the Mountain State were about to honor him with a lifetime achievement award on Tuesday night.

As host city of the West Virginia Municipal League’s 54th annual conference this week, the city of Wheeling came into Tuesday night already with a lot of feathers in its cap – including the tens of millions of dollars worth of investments and construction projects underway in town. After Tuesday’s awards dinner at the WVML’s conference at Oglebay, the city had even more reasons to be proud.

Elliott last week delivered his final State of the City address, as his term as mayor is set to come to a close at the end of June 2024.

He was unaware Tuesday night’s capacity crowd of municipal leaders from across the state was about to honor him with the final award of the night.

That is, until his presenter began reciting quotes from Elliott’s recent State of the City address, during which he cited key ingredients needed to make a city great.

James C. Hunt, former mayor and councilman who served the city of Clarksburg for a total of more than 27 years, was the very first recipient of the lifetime achievement award, which now carries his name. Hunt was on hand Tuesday night to present the surprise recognition during the end of the ceremony.

Officials noted that the award is not presented every year.

Hunt described this year’s winner as an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, noting that he “has led his city, and he has deserved” this special award.

“I want to share his view of what a city should be — ‘a great city must afford safety and security, strong infrastructure, a high quality of life, diverse job and housing opportunities, cultural vibrancy, a sense of community, openness and inclusivity, and strategic urban planning,'” Hunt said. “I cannot say that one item on that list was neglected through his terms as mayor. Our awardee has led the effort to bring these qualities to his city.

“I’m proud to award the James Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award to the mayor of our host city, Glenn Elliott.”

Elliott received a standing ovation from the crowd in the sprawling dining room.

“This is the second year in a row they caught me off guard with an award,” Elliott said after the ceremony. Elliott was honored as Mayor of the Year during last year’s WVML conference. “To be recognized by this group of people is pretty special, because it’s the people who are on the front lines all across the state. It’s something that I’ll treasure.”

Travis Blosser, executive director of the WVML, explained that the league only awards the James C. Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award on certain occasions, and this was the right occasion.

“I believe Mayor Elliott is only the eighth or ninth person to get the award since it came into existence,” Blosser said. “We give it to folks who have had a distinguished career and that are kind of exiting their time in municipal government. It’s to recognize their service and what they’ve done. Not everyone meets that bar.”

Blosser said one other Wheeling official also received the coveted lifetime achievement award in the past. Former Wheeling Mayor Andy McKenzie also was honored with this recognition with the completion of his service to the city.

The WVML recognized a number of other cities and municipal leaders during Tuesday night’s ceremony, including local officials and towns.

Wheeling City Solicitor Rosemary Humway-Warmuth was also surprised with a Hall of Fame recognition, being honored along with a small handful of other veteran municipal leaders from throughout the state for their dedicated service to their communities. Humway-Warmuth has served the city for 26 years.

The city of Wheeling also received an All Star Community Award for Cost Reduction/Savings for its effort to get HB 4756 passed in West Virginia, creating a new option for municipalities to finance their police and fire pension funds.

Other Northern Panhandle communities were also recognized for their efforts over the past year. The city of Moundsville was awarded the 2023 Vision of Tomorrow award, and the cities of New Martinsville and Weirton were honored with All Star Community Awards for Enrichment.

The WVML awards ceremony and events that continue this week bring community leaders together to network, attend workshops, collaborate on new ideas and to have fun. Participants look forward to the annual conference, which is hosted in different cities throughout the state each year.

Tuesday night’s awards ceremony came complete with colored lights and even a smoke machine on stage, setting the scene for a festive atmosphere. Some presenters delivered emotional speeches, reflecting on many friends who have been made through WVML events over the years, and remembering those who have recently passed.

“The Municipal League is not just about ordinances and meetings where people get unruly, it’s about a sense of family,” Hunt said.