Lodi chamber names Mike Georguson outstanding citizen of the year
After more than a decade of being an active member in the Lodi community, Mike Georguson, owner of Valley Outdoor Advertising, has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce William T. Harkins Outstanding Citizen Award. Lodi Chamber President Pat Patrick, along with members of the selection committee and Georguson’s close family and friends, surprised him with the news Monday afternoon. He will be presented with the award at the Lodi Chamber annual meeting on Jan. 26, 2017.
“I’m totally surprised I had no idea. It really is an honor,” Georguson said. “There’s a lot of very deserving people in town. I am one of many people that could of won. I’ve basically been in Lodi since I was in high school, and I’ve always loved his community. I really enjoy giving back to it. I feel like I get a lot of energy off of it, and there’s so many great things that you can be involved in here in town. I’m looking at the list of previous recipients of this award, and I don’t know if I am on that level, but I do appreciate winning it.”
According to Patrick, Georguson was chosen based on the diversity of his community service. He was nominated by Carolyn Hoff, office and event coordinator for the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation, and selected by a five person committee made up of past recipients of the award.
“I’ve heard about all of the activities he’s been involved in and it’s just incredible,” Hoff said, explaining why she nominated Georguson. “When he joins these groups, he isn’t just a member. He becomes the president of them, the most active person in them and he is just fully committed, so I just felt like he really deserved to be nominated. He’s given a lot to the community.”
Randy Snider, who was the 2014 recipient of the award and served on this year’s selection committee, said he was also impressed with Georguson’s vast amount of community service.
“He has a fabulous resume, fabulous application,” Snider said. “He’s done a lot of different things in the community and that’s what we look for.”
Georguson has been a resident of Lodi for 45 years and has an extensive community service resume. He’s actively involved with the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation, having served as the vice board chair and on several committees for at least a decade. He has also served as a volunteer for the foundation’s Summerfest event.
“I’m extremely proud to have our incoming chairman, who takes office in May, be an outstanding citizen of the year,” Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation President and CEO Wayne Craig said. “It really speaks well to the quality of our membership on the board. I’m very proud of Mike and so happy he’s involved in so many different things in the community. He really is the outstanding citizen of the year.”
Georguson is also heavily involved with the youths at First Baptist Church, having served as the leader of the high school group, college meeting leader and the leader and bus driver for the Mexico trip. He was also involved with Camp Barnabus, Camp Wildwood and the Upwards Basketball Winter League.
“Mike has been an amazing volunteer because not only does he volunteer in a number of different areas, but the
things that he does just really makes a huge impact in the lives of a lot of people,” Reverend Glen Barnes pastor at First Baptist Church said. “He’s volunteered with teenagers especially for 15 years and just has impacted a ton of teenagers over that time.”
In addition to his church contributions Georguson has been a long-standing member of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce having served as president
of the chamber and chair of the Economic Competitive Vision Action Team. He has also served on the chamber’s executive committee, finance and budget committee and Government Relations Committee.
Georguson has been a member of the Kiwanis Club board for 10 years, the Boys and Girls Club board for nine years, Micke Grove Zoo board for nine years and Woodbridge Golf & Country Club
Board for six years.
Georguson was also very active in raising his three sons. For each of his three boys he coached a total of 45 soccer, basketball and baseball teams for 6-13 year-olds
“He got energy to spare and he loves to share it with everyone,” Georguson’s son Paul Georguson said. “He’s dedicated his life to giving back to people and it’s pretty cool.”