By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

Students and educators from across Crawford County were honored for the work that they have put forth within the classroom Wednesday night for the B.E.S.T. awards.

Danielle Horsely watches on as the educator she nominated, Chuck Huggins, accepts his B.E.S.T. Award.

Thirty-one students and educators from Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford, Crestline, Fairway, Galion, Pioneer, and Wynford high schools were celebrated during the event held at Buckeye Central High School.

Each year the school hosting the B.E.S.T. Awards selects a local business for the Tillerson Business Partner Award. Civista Bank’s New Washington Branch was selected by Buckeye Central as the Tillerson Award recipient for the 2017 B.E.S.T. Awards. On hand to accept the award was New Washington Civista Bank Branch Leader/Consumer Lender Brian Evak and Senior Vice President of Retail Banking Bob Cox.

“It is a wonderful honor for us that we get honored for the support we get for Buckeye Central. We have wonderful students, wonderful administrators, great teachers, and the school districts in Crawford County

L-R Mark Robinson, Bob Cox, Brian Evak, and Steve Tilson

are the best. So, we take pride in giving back to the community especially like in New Washington,” Evak said of winning the award.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a business, especially since we have other branches in communities that are represented here,” Cox added.

2017 BEST Award Recipients

Students                                   School                                   Educator

Joshua Gwirtz                  Buckeye Central Schools                Mark Heefner

Amber Brown                  Buckeye Central Schools                Betty Majoy

Brooklyn Spears                    Bucyrus Schools                        Jeff Funigello

Owen Browning                    Bucyrus Schools                        Deborah Dostal

Cade Coffman               Colonel Crawford Schools           Carissa Sherk

Danielle Horsely               Colonel Crawford Schools           Chuck Huggins

Keegan Sqrow                       Crestline Schools                      Ryan Samuel

Nicholas Buckner                 Crestline Schools                       Ryan Samuel

Brittini Denzer                      Fairway School                          Sandra Grau

Andrew Bishop                     Fairway School                          Cheryl Williams

Shae Ness                              Galion Schools                           Mira Zeisler

Julieann Clouse                     Galion Schools                           Bill Stepro

Alexis Hadamuscin     Pioneer Career & Technology Center   Mike Millward

Zoie Kachermeyer      Pioneer Career & Technology Center   Mary Cosker

Ciara Hackworth                 Wynford Schools                     Kelly Wheeler

Alexis Showers                    Wynford Schools                     Terri Crain

The Crawford County B.E.S.T. Awards are sponsored by the Crawford County Business/Education Advisory Council and financed by donations from Crawford County Businesses, organizations and individuals.

2017 B.E.S.T. Sponsors

Carle’s Bratwurst Inc.
First Federal Bank of Ohio
Galion Elks #1191
Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce
Hottenroth, Garverick, Tilson & Garverick Co., L.P.A.
J&F Construction & Development , Inc
Kinn Brothers, Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning
Kiwanis of Galion
Loyal Order of Moose #669
Peoples Savings & Loan Company
The Community Foundation
The Dexter Company
Tramec Sloan LLC
United Ohio Insurance Company

Prior to the ceremony beginning a social half-hour took place with light refreshments while the Buckeye Central Show Choir and Band under the direction of Carla Niese performed.