(4-14-23) The Grand Lake Region Visitors Center:presented two annual awards recently, Jared Ebbing won the Ambassador Award and RCS Construction was given the Stahr Award.

2022 Ambassador Award…Jared Ebbing

The Ambassador of the Year Award is the highest honor given by this organization. It is dedicated to an individual, honored for significant contribution to the tourism industry and/or the support of the Visitors Center in areas such as membership, promotion or as a Visitors Center trustee.

This Mercer County native left a successful career in the private sector wanting to contribute to the future of Mercer County. Over his years in public service he served on the Western Ohio Education Foundation board, the Lake Restoration Commission and he was a coach for the Coldwater First Tech Robotics team. Wanting to make sure local talent can find great jobs here—he created Hometown Opportunities— a jobs posting, recruiting website and in 2018, he received the Image Award from the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education in recognition of his effort to bring positive attention to the career-technical and adult education fields.

Ebbing was recently appointed to the Wright State University Board of Trustees and knowing that tourism is economic development he has served on the Grand Lake Region Visitors Center Board of Directors since 2010 and now serves as the president of the board.

Stahr Award 2022…RCS Construction

The Stahr award is given annually to a group, organization or tourist industry company or business, honored and recognized for its outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of tourism in the two county area or has worked with the Grand Lake Region Visitors Center to carry out its mission. The granting of this award began in 1998. It is named for former Visitors Center Trustee, the late Bill Stahr.

This year’s Stahr award winner, RCS Construction, has contributed greatly to the area’s tourism offerings. This company has been around for many, many years and is known for high standards and high quality. The business began as a family enterprise more than 70 years ago and has expanded greatly over the years. It is their contribution to our area tourism amenities that we are honoring this afternoon.

Want to sit under a palm tree—in Ohio? How about ordering a drink at a bar fashioned from a former tugboat? Maybe you’d like to hone your golf swing in the dead of winter or attend a child’s sports tournament in a top notch facility? These are all things that visitors will find engaging and will draw them to the Grand Lake Region.

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