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CHAMBER AWARDS: Volunteer extraordinaire Leer named 2023 Citizen of the Year
As guests arrived at 3 Fat Labs Saturday evening for the 1970s-themed Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner, Studio 24, perhaps no outfits shone brighter than that of Allison Leer and husband Tom Silvey.
Their fake Afros, flashy satin clothing and Allison’s oversized sunglasses and fuzzy boots embodied not only 1970s style, but the fun-loving atmosphere of the evening.
In being named 2023 Citizen of the Year at the end of the program, it was clear that Leer embodies the spirit of volunteerism and community in her hometown.
“Sometimes you hear that in Greencastle and Putnam County, ‘There’s nothing to do here, there’s nothing to do here.’ There is so much to do here,” Leer told the Banner Graphic, echoing similar comments in her acceptance speech. “Greencastle and Putnam County offer so many amenities.”
Leer should know. She and Silvey spent 35 years in the Westfield and Carmel area before they “came back by chance” in 2015. They haven’t regretted the decision.
“We just felt like we had won the jackpot when we came here,” Leer said. “It is just a special place, and what’s pretty cool is the people — there are so many people working hard to do good things.”
Leer herself is working hard in a lot of different areas. It began when she and Silvey started collecting trash at the Putnam County Fairgrounds because they walked their dogs there. It’s grown from there.
A tireless leader for Putnam Parks and Pathways, Leer was instrumental in the opening of Hamrick Station Rustic Trail. With an eye toward preserving nature, she is also part of the Putnam County Remove Invasive Species (PC RIP) group, whose weed wrangles aim to rid Putnam County of invasive plants.
Leer has also been a volunteer for Putnam County Animal Care, playing roles such as Mrs. Claus for fundraising efforts like Merry Woofmas.
The holidays perhaps bring out her best, as she shared her passion for Christmas lights by assisting with the display at Robe-Ann Park.
“Our 2024 Citizen of the Year is a vibrant force in our community — a person of boundless energy, infectious cheerfulness and unwavering dedication,” Chamber Executive Director Madison Hanna said. “Her boundless energy is not merely a facet of her personality but a force that has been channeled into numerous projects and committees close to her heart.”
It’s more than just Leer’s helping hand. It’s the big smile with which she approaches her volunteer work and her helpful, encouraging comments to fellow volunteers.
One of these fellow volunteers is husband Tom, whom Allison has brought along on a number of her endeavors, for better or worse.
“I think I might I might have hit his limit when I had him dress up as Santa for the pets at the park,” Leer said with a laugh. “The photographer said it was easier to get the dogs to look at the camera than it was Santa.”
It’s hard to tell the story of Leer’s volunteerism without a reference to pets. Not only did the trash pick-up start with walking their two Weimaraners, Rosco and Gunner, but the volunteerism really picked up after the two dogs, unfortunately, passed away. In her acceptance speech, Leer noted that 2023 was the first full year without “the boys,” allowing her to put in more than 1,000 hours of community service.
“I told my husband several times during the year, ‘Tom if we still had the boys, I don’t think I could be doing this’ because my heart and my energy would be poured into the community,” she said. “I guess it’s a silver lining that I could give so much back to the community.”
Leer predicted that every time she looks at the plaque, she’ll probably think of the dogs.
“I think maybe they deserve part of the credit,” she said.
Above all, Leer’s humble nature came through in conversations following the presentations, saying she didn’t know if she deserved it or that there had to be a mistake.
“I was so shocked because I’m not even in the same ballpark with these other people (who have won the award) that are business leaders, that are doing hard things that are ... like ... movers and shakers,” Leer said. “And here I am building trails, picking up trash. It doesn’t seem like it’s in the same league as the things they’re doing.
“I was just filled with a sense of humility. I was so humbled to mentioned in the same frame with them.”
Just like those who came before her, though, Leer is the Citizen of the Year, doing what she can to make a difference in the community.
Leer had advice for her fellow citizens, first of all to remember that so many animals need a home and shelters are overcrowded, but also to get involved to benefit the community and themselves.
“If anybody’s having a hard time meeting people, just go get involved in a volunteer project,” Leer said. “It may take a while, but you’ll meet your people. That’s what we’ve done here. We’ve met our people.
“You can get involved in anything, and there’s so much that needs to be done,” she added. “Whether it’s animals or parks or elderly people or so many kids that don’t have enough to eat — there’s everything to do here. You don’t have to have money and you don’t have to own a business. Anybody can get involved with anything. It’s just somebody who has the initiative to go out and say, ‘I can help.’”
Winners of Putnam County Citizen of the Year include: Hazel Day Longden, the inaugural recipient in 1982; Hubert Clodfelter, 1983; Howard Williams, 1984; Bessie Rector, 1985; Mace Aker, 1986; Bobby G. Albright, 1987; Gerald E. Warren, 1988; David Barr, 1989; Jim Harris, 1990; Dr. James Johnson, 1991; Charles Chandler, 1992; Bob Evans, 1993; Julia “Judy” Johnson, 1994; Jerald D. Calbert, 1995; Harold Spicer, 1996; Jinsie Bingham, 1997; Dave Young, 1998; Barbara Lane, 1999; Ellen Sedlack, 2000; the trio of Lynn Wilson, Denise Sigworth and Rachel Seipel in 2001; Mike Rokicki, 2002; Joy Marley, 2003; Charles Miles, 2004; Judge Sally Gray, 2005; Dr. Donald “Doc” Brattain, 2006; Charles “Chuck” Schroeder, 2007; Lynn Bohmer, 2008; Ken Heeke, 2009; Becky Brothers, 2010; Judge Diana LaViolette, 2011; Judy Miller, 2012; Dr. Perry Wainman, 2013; Emily Knuth and Suzanne Masten, 2014; Sue Murray, 2015; Eric Bernsee, 2016; Ginger Scott, 2017; Ken Eitel, 2018; Laurie Hardwick, 2019; the citizens of Putnam County, 2020; Karl Turk, 2021; Gail Smith, 2022; and Allison Leer, 2023.