The conference centre at the Heritage Inn was jam packed with some of Cranbrook’s best and brightest on December 13, all gathered over turkey dinners for the annual Citizen of the Year Award ceremony. This year the distinction was passed to Mike Adams.
Chamber Board Chair and friend of Adams, Chris Botterill, announced the award, for which Adams received a standing ovation. “It was a pretty proud, humbling moment,” said Adams after the event. “It’s pretty nice to have all those people stand and recognize you, and yeah it was a great honour.”
Adams was recognized for numerous achievements and contributions to the City of Cranbrook. He was hugely influential in the creation of JCI Kootenay. Adams also has served has president of the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Sam Steele Society and on the Board of the Cranbrook Society for Community living for 10 years.
“Mike works tirelessly behind the scenes,” said Botterill. “He doesn’t seek praise or recognition being content to be part of initiatives and efforts that benefit the lives of our citizens. He has been an exceptional citizen of Cranbrook for many years. He is a man with a great sense of community and uses his skills to build a better community.”
“Obviously you don’t do it for personal recognition or anything,” said Adams. “It’s trying do better for the community and when you are lucky enough to get something this it makes you realize that it was worth it and everybody did appreciate it and I guess that’s what makes it extra special.”
Adams has been a part of this community for around 20 years now and said that his work with JCI Kootenay was a big part of everything he did for a long time. He explained that the chapter had just started he decided to become a part of it, and at the time, he knew nothing about it.
“I just really felt that a non-profit for people that are 18 to 40, business minded — it brought a lot of us together, but at the same time we were doing things for the community,” he explained. “And I think you’ll see more and more of those people that were part of that or are still a part of that winning this award in the future too because there’s some great people that were part of it with me.”
Adams also mentioned his work volunteering for the Salvation Army and raising money for breast cancer as a very personal highlight of his past work for him as well as his time with the Cranbrook Society for Community Living and with the Chamber.
Adams will be formally recognized at the Citizen of the Year banquet on Saturday, January 27. Tickets will be available on the Chamber website or by calling their office at (250) 426-5914.