Huntington County Honors announces 2024 Class
The 2024 Class of Huntington County Honors includes individuals who have been highly successful and visible in their chosen fields, have been passionate in making an impact on their community, and have been pioneers in their life’s work.
Created in 2014, Huntington County Honors brings to light the achievements, work and service of those with ties to the community who have made a lasting impact on Huntington County. They are recognized in one of five categories — athletics and recreation, business and professional, community and public service, humanities and cultural, and historical. The inaugural class of Huntington County Honors was inducted in 2016.
“The goal of Huntington County Honors has been to present the stories of these outstanding people and the contributions they have made in this community and beyond,” said Paul Siegfried, board member of Huntington County Honors. “What they have accomplished is certainly worthy of recognition.”
This year’s recognition ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 9, in the rotunda of the Huntington County Courthouse. The event is free and open to the public. Inductees are recognized across five categories.
The diverse group of honorees for 2024 includes Chris Kramer, an Indiana All-Star basketball player at Huntington North and two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year at Purdue. Also in the athletics and recreation category is Phyllis Vance, a pioneering athlete in Grant County and coach at Huntington North, where she coached multiple sports and advocated for girls athletics. She was the first female softball coach in Indiana to reach 200 wins.
In the business and professional category, Jim Seneff will be honored. A member of the 1964 state runner-up basketball team at Huntington High School, Seneff founded CNL Financial Group and turned it into one of the most successful real estate firms in the country.
Jim Russo earned the title of baseball’s “Super Scout” for good reason. In more than 30 years of finding baseball talent, he was a primary architect of building the Baltimore Orioles into the winningest team in the 1960s and 70s.
In the humanities and cultural category, photography takes center stage. Rickert Studio chronicled Huntington over multiple generations, documenting the growth and fabric of the community from family photos to capturing moments in time of community life.
Andrew Hancock began his career in photojournalism working at the Huntington Herald-Press, and within a short time found his work on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His innovative sports photos have set a standard in the industry as he continues to create images rarely seen.
Two longtime community leaders will be recognized in the community and public service category.
Debbie Dyer has followed a lifelong passion and helped to develop an arts community in Huntington. As executive director of the LaFontaine Arts Council, she has created arts events and opportunities, especially for young people.
Ryan Warner has been a business leader in the Huntington community as president of Bippus State Bank, and has contributed in a number of other ways through service and philanthropic organizations.
Looking back in Huntington’s history, Huntington County Honors will recognize the legacy of Gen. James Slack. Slack, a local lawyer and state senator, joined the Union Army at the start of the Civil War. Despite a lack of military training, his leadership abilities led to him being given command of an infantry regiment. He eventually rose to the rank of brigadier general and led several successful campaigns in the Western Theater.
For the second year, Huntington County Honors will present the Dr. John David Carnes Award for Community Service, which honors the life of the late physician and his compassion and love for his community. Dr. Carnes was also one of the founders of Huntington County Honors.
This year’s honoree is Huntington North High School radio station WVSH, which debuted in 1950 as just the second high school station in the state. For 75 years, the student-run WVSH — the Voice of the Schools of Huntington — has provided an educational opportunity as well as offering programming, sports, news and information to the Huntington County community. Many graduates of the WVSH program have gone on to work in radio, television and other media careers.
A display featuring the 2024 class of Huntington County Honors will be on view in Huntington City-Township Public Library beginning in January. The Huntington County Historical Museum houses a permanent exhibit featuring all previous honorees, and the library maintains an archive of all those who have been honored.
Information on Huntington County Honors and all honorees is available on its website at www.huntingtoncountyhonors.org.