Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Gladys Roann-Watson has been selected to serve as the Grand Marshal of the 2022 Watermelon Festival Parade. The Parade Grand Marshal is presented to a resident of Jefferson County who has made a positive difference through leadership, community involvement, volunteerism and overall public service to our county. Roann-Watson meets these criteria in abundance!
She has a long, strong record of volunteerism that translates into meaningful community involvement. Her nominator said, “Even before her retirement, after 39 years as the nurse in the Jefferson County School System, Gladys found time to collect food and clothing for students and their families who would otherwise go without. She was affectionately referred to by some as 'our own Mother Teresa.' Since retiring, she has become the consummate volunteer.”
As a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Monticello, Roann-Watson found further opportunities to volunteer by serving on the Vestry and being a cheerful volunteer wherever needed. Her ardent support of the democratic process includes frequently volunteering at events to promote voter registration, regardless of party affiliation. Not only does Roann-Watson serve as a volunteer, but she has been instrumental in recruiting others to volunteer – in after-school homework help sessions and at the Beau Turner Youth Conservation Center.
Her leadership has proven beneficial to many organizations in the local community. For more than two decades, she was Chair of the Healthy Start Coalition serving Jefferson, Madison and Taylor Counties. As a member of the Jefferson County Youth Council, she helps support development and leadership opportunities for young people in Jefferson County. Her public service includes membership on a number of boards, including
• Jefferson County Education Foundation (founding member)
• Jefferson County Teachers’ Credit Union, Chair
• Howard Academy Education and Recreation Council, Chair
• Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee, Chair
• Monticello Opera House
• Jefferson County Historical Association
• Jefferson County School Board, Chair
In addition, her nominator pointed out that “A number of historical properties in the community have been or are being restored due to Gladys’s skill and expertise in grant writing. Through her ability to articulate the need, draw support from the right people and to be a strong advocate, she has gained the confidence and respect of the funding agencies that make preservation and restoration possible.”
Jefferson County can be proud to recognize a citizen such as Gladys Roann-Watson with the honor of being Grand Marshal for the 2022 Watermelon Festival Parade. “Her fingerprints are on so many projects in and around our community,” concluded her nominator, “and the activities highlighted here provide but a glimpse at the arc of her public service.”
Upon learning of her selection as Grand Marshal, Roann-Watson said, “First of all, it was a total surprise to be selected. It makes me humble. The idea that people thought I was deserving of this honor was most humbling. I want to thank everybody who was involved in the selection process.”
The Watermelon Festival Parade will take place on Saturday, June 18, at 10 a.m. in downtown Monticello, with Grand Marshal Roann-Watson in the seat of honor. Individuals and groups who also wish to appear in the line-up should turn in their Parade Application and entry fee by Friday, May 27. Applications are available at www.monticellowatermelonfestival.com. For more information, see the related story elsewhere in today's Jefferson County Journal.
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