By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Two citizens who have had a tremendous impact on Shelby County as a whole were honored at the Shelby County Chamber’s 44th annual investors’ meeting and luncheon.

Bill Connor, the former CEO of AmFirst, and Gary Waters, the current mayor of Pelham, were honored for their decades of service to Shelby County.

Connor was awarded as a lifetime investor with the Shelby County Chamber. Kirk Mancer, the chamber’s CEO, congratulated Connor on the award.

“It is my pleasure on the eve of his retirement after 44 years of dedication to AmFirst to present in recognition of the outstanding commitment and dedication to the Shelby County Chamber and its programming, as well as the leadership he provided as a member of the Board of Directors… the organization is honored to name Bill Connor a lifetime investor,” Mancer said.

Connor’s retirement opened the door for Kevin Morris, the Shelby County Chamber’s current chair and former senior vice president at AmFirst, to take his place. Connor began at AmFirst in 1980 and was appointed as CEO in 2011.

Waters was honored with the Alex Dudchock Community Leadership Award. The award was created in 2019 by the Shelby County Mayors’ Association and is named for Dudchock, the former county manager of Shelby County. The award is presented each year to an outstanding civic or business leader in Shelby County that demonstrates the values Dudchock exemplified in his service.

Waters was introduced by Mancer who recognized him for his services.

“Today’s recipient has been instrumental in transforming their community into one of the most professionally managed cities in the state by advocating for consistency in the application of the law and working to ensure thy are ethical partners among developers, businesses, residents and surrounding cities and counties at the state and federal levels,” Mancer said.

Mancer also acknowledged Waters’s contributions outside of the mayoral office.

“In their personal time, today’s recipient can also be found mowing lawns for elderly residents, volunteering at the national cemetery, visiting local nursing homes or spending time with residents both formally and informally,” Mancer said.

Waters gave some brief remarks on his winning the award.

“Thank you all, I appreciate this very much,” Waters said.

For more information on the award winners and the Shelby County Chamber, visit Shelbychamber.org or Facebook.com/TheShelbyCountyChamber.