photo by: Niamh Coomey

West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee addresses the crowd Thursday during the Ohio River Valley Council Distinguished Citizen’s Dinner at the White Palace at Wheeling Park.

WHEELING — West Virginia University President Gordon Gee was selected as this year’s “Distinguished Citizen” by Scouting America and the Ohio River Valley Council.

The annual event spotlights an individual and a business that have contributed significantly to the community.

Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration received the distinguished corporation award for its values and contributions to the area. Business owner Robert Contraguerro and his family accepted the award.

Scott Hanson, scout executive and CEO, said the main consideration for selecting honorees is how aligned they are with scout values.

“What we instill in youth is leadership, character development, citizenship and fitness and we like to honor individuals like Gordon Gee and Panhandle that represent those values in the greater community,” Hanson said.

He noted that Gee is an Eagle Scout himself and someone that the around 1,200 Ohio Valley youth involved with scouting can look to as an example.

Gee has been closely involved with the scouts for most of his life, and has served on the national executive committee for years. He said growing up in a small town, scouting and 4H were the main activities available. He believes scouting is a great character builder and wanted to maintain his close involvement throughout his life.

This was particularly true when he moved back to West Virginia when he became university president for the second time, as it is a state that is closely entwined with scouting.

The Northern Panhandle is one of Gee’s favorite places, he said, and Wheeling is a “fabulous city.”

Gee nears retirement from his decades-long career in university administration. He has been known as a leader who takes risks.

One goal for his last bit of time as university president is to continue to spread the message that there is hope and opportunity in the state, Gee said.

“Whether it’s through skills training, technical training, university training, we need to have West Virginians continue to engage in education because that’s the way we’re going to grow our economy and flourish as a state in the future,” he said.

Douglass Harrison, CEO of WVU Medicine Wheeling and Reynolds Memorial hospitals, introduced Gee, defending some of the “tough decisions” Gee has had to make in his time as a leader. WVU is in a much stronger position under Gee’s leadership, Harrison said.

“What he has always been is a visionary,” Harrison said. “He understands where this is going and he’s five to 10 years always looking ahead of where healthcare is going, where education is going.”

In his keynote speech Gee emphasized the importance of the in-person connection, collaboration and community that scouting provides in a world where young people are often isolated.

“You are raising expectations with these young people. You’re nurturing curiosity,” Gee said.

The event recognized two current Scouts, Madison Yaron and Benjamin Hise, who spoke about the positive impact scouting has had in their lives. Yaron is the first woman to reach Eagle Scout status in the Ohio River Valley.

Also honored at the event was the late Tom Cook, who passed away at the age of 62 in May. Cook was an active community member who served as a councilman in Glen Dale, Marshall County Health Administrator and a scout troop leader.

Adam Fletcher, an Ohio River Valley Council Board member, gave a speech and showed a visual presentation in Cook’s memory, looking back on his achievements and life of giving back.

Since Cook was “a man of the people,” Fletcher spoke while moving around the audience as one of the guests rather than presenting on stage.

“His loyalty, his kindness, his bravery is second to none,” Fletcher said of Cook.