When Bonita Price is in a room, you know it. Laughter and energy seem to follow her wherever she goes and judging by her involvement in the community, she goes just about everywhere!
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When Bonita Price is in a room, you know it. Laughter and energy seem to follow her wherever she goes and judging by her involvement in the community, she goes just about everywhere!
Mrs. Price has been named ?Ambassador of the Year? by the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce and is being recognized by her colleagues for her work with the organization over the past 12 years. Mrs. Price said her involvement in the world around her began at an early age.
?My mom always said that if there was a chicken fight, I?d be there,? she said. ?I?ve always been involved. I played every sport, was in every organization, held offices, you name it.?
A native of Gilman City and a 1973 graduate of Gilman City High School, she and her husband Jim, also from Gilman City, have been married for 31 years, making their home in Trenton right after marriage.
?This is where we decided to make our roots,? she said.
She began working at Trenton Trust Company, now Citizens Bank and Trust, in February 1977. The couple began their family and when their son, Shannon, and daughter, Michelle, were young, they found themselves knee-deep in the kids? activities.
?We were never ones to just drop the kids off at something and leave,? she explained. ?We were always involved, making the goodies, coaching the team, working with the booster club. When they graduated and left home, it was just natural to move that involvement into other areas. So I became involved in things like United Way, Miss Trenton, Preceptor Nu sorority and the chamber.?
Her work at the chamber has brought her a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment, she said. The group has organized food drives for the community food pantry, held trick-or-treat night, hosted the Christmas parade (one of her favorite events) and the annual ethics seminars for area high school seniors, as well as the ?usual? chamber activities such as membership drives and working with new businesses to steer them in the chamber?s direction. While this is the year she is being honored for her work as an ambassador, her fellow chamber members have noticed it for a long time.
?Bonita has been involved in the community for a long time, not just in the last year,? said Rick Klinginsmith, a former ambassador and current treasurer of the chamber board. ?Over the past several years, she has been involved in her sorority, the booster club and, for the past 12 years, as an ambassador. For all her past and present involvement, we have chosen to recognize her..?
Those who are involved with her in areas other than the chamber also recognize her contributions.
?Bonita has always been very community-minded, very conscientious,? said Donna Wilson, a fellow member of Preceptor Nu sorority. ?If she says she?s going to do something, she sees that it gets done. If you look at the pictures of ribbon-cuttings, nine out of 10 times, Bonita?s face is in the picture. She?s very active in getting food for the food pantry and feels strongly about supporting the community through the ambassadors as she does through the sorority. She is the person you would want on a service committee because with her bubbly, fun attitude she makes the time go quickly through games and dance. Preceptor Nu is very proud of her and feel honored that she is part of our sorority.?
Mrs. Price was surprised to hear of her honor and she reacted in what, for her, is a very uncharacteristic way.
?When Terri (Henderson) called me, I didn?t say anything. I was at a loss for words and that never happens!? she said, also noting that if not for the other ambassadors, she wouldn?t be in a position to be recognized.
?I was chosen ambassador of the year, but if it wasn?t for the others, I wouldn?t shine either. We bond well together and everything we do, we do as a group. It?s definitely not just me.?
Mrs. Price is confident that the chamber is in good hands with Mrs. Henderson, who recently began her duties as executive director of the chamber, and feels the local businesses will benefit from the services that are offered.
?The business community needs a place they can go to that?s centralized,? she explained. ?They need a place for new businesses to go to get in contact with other business owners. That?s a lot of what the chamber is about.?
Mrs. Price doesn?t plan to alter her involvement in the chamber or her other organizations any time soon. She said she will continue to be involved in groups and organizations as she grows older.
?That?s just me. I need people contact, I enjoy people contact. My job is a real people-contact job,? she said. ?I feel that you can grow old real quick if you just go home and sit.?
Mrs. Price and Hy-Vee Food Store, which has been selected as the Business of the Year, will be honored at Saturday?s Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. The event, which will be held at Lakeview Restaurant, will begin with a social hour at 6:30 p.m. and dinner to follow at 7 p.m.