A “tireless volunteer and leader” was named 2021 Batavia Citizen of the Year (COTY). The Batavia Chamber of Commerce will honor Daniel ‘Dan’ Hoefler on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Chamber’s Inspire 2022: A Celebration of Those Who Inspire Us! annual awards event.
Additionally, the Batavia Community Band is the Spirit of Batavia award winner for 2021. A committee of previous recipients of the Citizen of the Year award selects the Batavia Citizen of the Year from nominations received from the community. This group also chooses the Spirit of Batavia group honoree.
Dan is being honored for a lifetime of helping Batavia - and beyond. In a nomination letter, Tom Von Lunen, COTY 2014, wrote that Dan “is an excellent example of a dedicated individual who gives more of himself without seeking any accolades or recognition of his service to his community.”
The Chamber is also pleased to announce that the Batavia Community Band becomes the sixth organization that has made significant contributions to the Batavia community. With about 45 active members, the all-volunteer group works tirelessly to make wonderful memories in their hometown by producing great music for the community and its events.
Two projects/initiatives will receive a special Batavia Community Impact Award. This award goes to projects or initiatives that are inspirational and demonstrate kindness, generosity, and goodwill in our community. Selected to receive the honor for 2021 are:
- Erin Cluts, a Batavia mom who spent countless hours tracking down and scheduling COVID shots for at least 100 Batavia-area senior citizens, many of whom couldn’t navigate the online appointments.
- The Batavia Counselors’ Collaboration, originally organized by Maria Kuhn of Kuhn Counseling Center with the assistance of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, formed in 2020 during COVID to address the community’s underlying anxiety about the pandemic.