Chamber honors Hatlewick for work with several area organizations

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John M. Steiner / The Sun Deb Hatlewick, NDSU Extension Service 4-H coordinator, talks Monday of being honored with the 2011 Above and Beyond Award from the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce.

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On Thursday a rural Jamestown resident will be honored with the 2011 Above and Beyond Award from the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce for doing the things she’s always loved.

Deb Hatlewick, a North Dakota State University Extension Service 4-H coordinator, will be bestowed the honor at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Shady’s Banquet Rooms inside the Gladstone Inn & Suites.

“I was surprised. I was certainly surprised,” Hatlewick said. “It’s a real honor to be considered.”

As a 4-H coordinator, Hatlewick works primarily with 4-H as an organization in the area and, on her own time, works with associations that go hand-in-hand with rural living.

“The majority of what I’m involved with has to do with youth, and I consider this job to be my dream job because I get to work with youth across the state,” she said.

She works with 4-H, FFA, the Stutsman County Fair, her church, local food pantries, Stutsman County Farm Bureau, RSVP+, the North Dakota Winter Show, the Jamestown Chamber Ag Energy Committee, a youth shooting program, North Dakota Junior Angus, Red River Valley Angus Association, and Circle Cross Riding Club.

“I’m just glad people think I make a difference,” Hatlewick said.

A rancher since she was born, Hatlewick said she enjoys the Stutsman County Fair the most of all the programs she’s involved in.

She’s been instrumental in improving livestock fairgrounds as well as other work to showcase 4-H. Also, she’s involved with other groups that come to Stutsman County Fair.

“I’m really busy, but even though I’m busy, I’m not frantic,” she said. “I have a really good system on how to do things.”

The date may be Jan. 24 today but Hatlewick already has sent out letters to businesses that might be interested in being sponsors at the county fair.

“I’m a person that likes to keep busy,” she said. “I’m not one that likes to sit around and do nothing.”

That’s one of the things Kimberly Saxberg, executive director at the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce, noticed in the forms nominating Hatlewick.

The chamber reviewed myriad applications and selected Hatlewick for the Above and Beyond Award for her active role in the community, Saxberg said.

“Every time I look through her nominations, I keep going over the same thing,” she said. “She’s a doer — whatever is needed, she does it.”

For Hatlewick, projects are spread out during the year. This makes it easier to tackle the large number of things on her plate.

Still, she said it’s about the children.

“Our youth are our future and my goal is to give them every opportunity to learn citizenship and leadership,” she said.

If that means helping more than a dozen organizations throughout the year, then that’s what she’s going to do.

“I’m not afraid to give up my Sundays, or weekends to help kids that need my help,” she said.

Saxberg said to be a community leader that’s what it takes.

“She just encourages participation, no matter what activity she’s in,” Saxberg said.

Contact Joanne at 701-252-4830, or email joanne@jamestownchamber.com for ticket information to the chamber banquet.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by email at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, awards, chamber