One of The Moultrie Observer’s roles is to share news of awards received by members of our community. Our HomeStyle section frequently features dean’s list recipients and college graduations. Our business coverage includes a variety of honors that local people have received in their occupations.

But some recent recognitions deserve more.

In last week’s Observer, we described an award presented to Amy Johnson by the Georgia Municipal Association. Johnson, the City of Moultrie’s downtown economic director and public relations director, received the Starr Award, which is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution toward creating a unique and vibrant environment in the downtown area of a city in Georgia.

Moultrie has a lot to be proud of in its downtown — last year the Georgia Downtown Conference named it Downtown of the Year — and Johnson is a huge part of the reason for downtown’s success. Her hands have been on almost every downtown success we’ve reported on for years, including renovation projects, special events and business growth that’s led to 136 jobs over the last five years.

Today’s issue of The Observer describes awards to another local individual, a husband-and-wife team and a ministry that are each, in their own ways, making a huge difference in our community.

Jim Matney, president and CEO of Colquitt Regional Medical Center, recently received the W. Daniel Barker Leadership Award from the Georgia Hospital Authority.

Matney, who has led Colquitt Regional since August 2011, has helped create a medical education environment here. Building on the foundation laid by his predecessor, Jim Lowry, Matney brought the Georgia South Family Medical Residency to fruition. Connections made while creating Georgia South led the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine to build its South Georgia campus in Moultrie.

Meanwhile, Colquitt Regional has been routinely recognized for patient safety by the Leapfrog Group, and it has expanded its cancer treatments through the Edwards Cancer Center, a new radiation oncology facility and more.

Last week, the John Benning Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented Community Service awards to Mark and Connie Fleetwood and to the First Baptist Church Ramp Ministry during the DAR’s Independence Day celebration.

The Fleetwoods were recognized in May by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation for their volunteer work with the American Red Cross. The Moultrie couple have each volunteered more than 8,000 hours. For the last few years they’ve manned the Red Cross’s Emergency Response Vehicle based in South Georgia. In it they’ve driven to disaster areas all across the Southeast to support recovery efforts.

Connie Fleetwood was named the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year for 2017, and Mark Fleetwood was named Man of the Year for 2021.

Sonny Bridges started building wheelchair ramps as a ministry more than 20 years ago in association with Colquitt Regional’s then-CEO Jim Lowry. Colquitt Regional remains a major supporter, and First Baptist Church is now the ministry’s primary sponsor. Bridges and his volunteers have built more than 400 ramps for those in need, 21 of them just last year.

It is impossible to overstate the contributions that Johnson, Matney, the Fleetwoods and the ramp ministry have brought to our community. These awards are richly deserved.