Best is Citizens’ Volunteer of the Year

PRINCETON — Penny Best was recognized at the Beef and Ag Festival Friday evening as Citizens First National Bank 2009 Volunteer of the Year. This award was established to acknowledge a Bureau County resident for their outstanding service, leadership and/or dedication to their community.

Citizens recognizes its responsibility extends beyond providing financial services to the communities it serves. The company strongly believes the ongoing success of a community involves good corporate citizenship and volunteerism. Nominations for the award were sought from city and village officials throughout Bureau County as well as bank employees from its Princeton, DePue and Spring Valley offices. This award is not intended for specific achievement but rather for contributions that have improved the quality of communities. Some of the criteria for nomination included serving in a leadership capacity to local organizations, instrumental in a major project improving the quality of life, outstanding reputation within the community as a volunteer who is reliable and enjoys dedicating time and energy to their community and must be a resident of Bureau County. Citizens staff members, board members and their spouses were not eligible for nomination.

Penny Best has been very active in various organizations and community activities throughout the county for most of her life. Her continuous support and commitment to the community is apparent in every organization in which she has been involved. Serving as chairperson of the Princeton bloodmobile for 12 years, she also sat on the Bureau County Red Cross Board. In 2001, Best became executive director for the Bureau County Red Cross until her retirement in 2008. During that time, she held fundraisers which totaled more than $50,000. The Sept. 11 donation drive brought in more than $25,000, and the fund drive for the New Orleans hurricanes raised more than $40,000 in Bureau County alone. Still an active Red Cross volunteer, Best has also assisted with the flood disasters in Iowa and the Utica tornado.

Best has dedicated countless volunteer hours throughout the years to the Beef and Ag Festival where she served as chair for 17 years. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Beef and Ag Days, and Best has been an integral part helping with this event. Her commitment to the community is apparent with serving eight years on both the Chamber of Commerce Board and the Travel and Tourism Board, holding the office of vice president for two years and president for three years. In addition, she served as secretary on the Main Street Board and served on the Civil War Re-enactment Committee for six years.