Culpeper's Mother Teresa

If angels walk among us, Gladys Williams is one of them.

The longtime director of the Culpeper Senior Nutrition Site earned the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce’s highest honor at its 97^th Annual Meeting and Banquet Thursday night.

Williams is the 2011 recipient of the L.B. Henretty Memorial Outstanding Citizen Award.

Dressed in a denim vest and sneakers, the always youthful, always smiling community servant wiped her eyes as she approached the stage at Germanna Community College’s Daniel Technology Center.

“Johnny and I are not usually at a loss for words,” said Williams of her partner in accepting the award before hundreds of community leaders. “All I can say is thank you so much, and I truly appreciate it.”

For nearly 30 years, she has dedicated her life to serving local seniors at the nutrition site, a program of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services Board. Williams loves everybody and lets them know it. But she also shows it. Williams volunteers at church and with the Salem Ruritan Club, and has been described by her seniors as, “One in a million.” To be around Williams is akin to sitting in a ray of sunshine.

A few years ago, Culpeper County Government named Williams among its honorary Culpeper Colonels and she’s also won the town’s Spirit Award.

Last year’s L.B. Henretty Award winner, Chuck Gyory, in his introduction, bestowed another honorary designation upon her.

“She’s been rightly called Culpeper’s Mother Teresa,” he said. “She has worked tirelessly to support nutritional health and the mental and physical well-being of local seniors.”

Gyory said Williams was the perfect example of what the award was all about: Service and assistance to individuals or groups.

“The primary consideration should be effectiveness of service and leadership,” he said.

Williams received a standing ovation as she got up from her chair in the back of the large room to accept the acknowledgement.

Earlier in the evening, the chamber welcomed its 2012 chairperson, Raven Yates. A Culpeper native and lifelong resident, Yates said she was humbled and honored to serve in the role, helping to lead a chamber of commerce that’s been around for 97 years and now has 520 members.

He encouraged those in attendance to take business matters into their own hands.

“We are the economy,” Yates said. “We need to stop waiting for the economy to turn. We need to turn our economy.”

That happens locally through partnerships, organized programs and support, all of which was evident at Thursday’s chamber event.

2011 Culpeper Chamber of Commerce award winners

>>Gladys Williams: L.B. Henretty Memorial Outstanding Citizen Award

>>Business of the Year: Integrity Automotive, 902 S. Main St.

>>Nonprofit of the Year: Piedmont United Way, 118 E. Piedmont St.

>>Small Business Person of the Year: Chris Pearson of Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C., 1100 Sunset Lane

>>Most Improved Business Location: The Copper Fish, 140 E. Davis St.

>>Young Professional of the Year: Jonathan Krawchuk, Culpeper Media Network, 105 N. Main St.