Ripley County Chamber Names Award Recipients

By Mike Perleberg (left to right) Sherman Lemen, Leslie Kessens, and Trace Tucker will receive awards from the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce. (Ripley County, Ind.) – Whether it is growing their business, educating the next generation of citizens, or volunteering in the community, they are considered among the best in Ripley County. The Ripley County Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of its 2015 awards on September 14. There’s no doubting whether 99-year-old Sherman Lemen is deserving of the Citizen on the Year award. The World War II veteran and Osgood resident began teaching in his hometown in 1936. He has remained active in the community despite retiring as the superintendent of Jac-Cen-Del Community Schools in 1980 after 20 years in the position. He is a member of the Osgood Lions Club and Osgood Baptist Church. In 1994, he and wife Jean established the Lemen Scholarship, an award for a high school student pursuing a teaching career, at Jac-Cen-Del Dollars for Scholars. Lemen is not the only educator being honored by the Ripley County Chamber. Trace Tucker is the chamber’s Educator of the Year for 2015. Tucker is a special education teacher at South Ripley High School in Versailles. Napoleon State Bank’s Leslie Kessens has been named the Ripley County Businesses Person of the Year. Kessens is president and CEO of the bank. He has been a member of the Napoleon State Bank’s Board of Directors since 1989. Lemen, Tucker, and Kessens will speak and accept their awards at the chamber’s annual dinner on November 12. Also, each will be recognized at the 114th Versailles Pumpkin Show Parade on Saturday, September 26.