Jorgensen named Citizen of Year

IC Chamber marks 50th year celebrating commuinity

 

LUM — Business associates, friends, family and neighbors packed the house at Castle Creek Golf Club Saturday evening, Jan. 18, to celebrate those who’ve gone above and beyond for the community.

Hosted by the Imlay City Area Chamber of Commerce, the dinner dance is held annually to acknowledge the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year, and Merit Award and Organization of the Year Award winners. This year marked the 50th year that the Chamber has organized the event.

While the Merit Award and Organization of the Year award winners are announced in advance, the Citizen of the Year winner isn’t announced until the dinner dance is held.

The 2024 Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Randy Jorgensen, longtime resident and businessman in the community. He was nominated by Chamber Board member and community advocate Vicki Sefcovic of Great Lakes Warriors.

At the helm of Tri-City Times, Page One Printing, Woods-N-Water News and Castle Creek Golf Club, throughout his 45 years in Imlay City, Jorgensen has managed to carve out time to volunteer his talents in service of the community.

In the 1990s, Jorgensen helped rescue what’s now called the Eastern Michigan State Fair from near-dissolution when he joined the Fair Board to assist in bringing it back to life. He continued to serve on the board for a dozen years. Today, the Eastern Michigan State Fair has become a magnet for 4-H youths and their families, and from people across the area throughout Fair week.

The Fairgrounds is also host to the Woods-N-Water News Outdoor Weekend each fall, which draws thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to Imlay City each year.

Jorgensen also served as a trustee on the Four County Community Foundation board, where he and Woods-N-Water News Editor Tom Campbell created a charitable foundation aimed at offering grants to persons with disabilities to make their hunting, fishing and outdoor adventure dreams come true.

An avid wrestler, Jorgensen coached the Imlay City High School Wresting team for 24 years, beginning in 1980. He was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2010.

Through his love of wrestling, Jorgensen arranged visits to Imlay City with wrestlers from Brazil and Germany, and hosted tournaments in town to showcase their talents.

While at Tri-City Times, Jorgensen’s done everything from covering local sports and news to ad sales and page layout, earning awards for his writing and graphic arts talents. At Woods-N-Water News, he’s undertaken many hunting adventures to bring the stories to readers of the monthly magazine.

During the award presentation, retired Tri-City Times editor Catherine Minolli, Eastern Michigan State Fair Manager Ian Kempf, and Jorgensen’s son, North Branch High School Wrestling Coach Keil Jorgensen—who also works for Woods-N-Water News, shared their sentiments about Randy’s accomplishments.

In a short, and at times emotional acceptance speech, Jorgensen said he was humbled and honored by the recognition.

“Imlay City has been very good to our family. It was nice to see so many of my friends there to help celebrate the evening. I’m proud to have my name with the other very deserving people the Chamber has honored over the past 50 years,” he said.

The Chamber also presented the Merit Award to longtime Summer Fest volunteer Julie Chrysler, and the Organization of the Year Award to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Youth Group, led by Youth Minister Kaylee Kaeding.