Recognition - Annual Awards

Each January, the City Council honors two outstanding individuals for their significant contributions to our community. The James M. Ragland Award recognizes exceptional volunteers in the community, while the Alan C. Bates Award celebrates those who advocate for the interests of Ashland. These prestigious awards are presented during the annual Town Hall gathering.

  1. James M. Ragland Award
  2. Alan C. Bates Award

Nominations for the 2026 Ragland Award have closed

The 2026 Award Recipient will be announced at the 2026 Town Hall Gathering - Learn more. Thank you to all who made nominations. 

The James M. Ragland Memorial Ashland "Volunteer Spirit" Community Service Award was established by the City Council on April 19, 1994. This award honors the memory of James M. Ragland, who served as Council President and Planning Commissioner. Affectionately known as Jim, he was a visionary leader whose dedication and volunteerism significantly influenced the beauty and character of Ashland today.

To recognize the contributions of public sector volunteers, the Council presents this annual community service award in Jim's memory. Through his extensive involvement in various volunteer efforts, he made lasting contributions to the physical and social fabric of our community.

Nominees are evaluated based on their public sector volunteer services, length of service and previous recognition. Additional consideration is given to individuals who volunteer beyond their regular work hours to benefit the community.

Past recipients of the Ragland Award:

1994, Frank D'Entremont

1995, Donna Daniels

1996, Barbara Jarvis and Terry Skibby

1997, All the citizens of Ashland (in recognition of the countless volunteers who helped during the 1997 flood)

1998, Marty Bryant

1999, Jim Lewis

2000, Midge Thierolf

2001, Hal Cloer

2002, Bill Modesitt

2003, Sue Graham

2004, Pete Belcastro

2005, Pamela Joy

2006, Melissa Mitchell Hooge

2007, Ashland City Band

2008, Amy Amrhein

2009, Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association (AWTA)

2010, Ashland Food Project

2011, Steve Hauck

2012, Joan Spear

2013, Roberta Stebbins

2014, Doug Gentry

2015, Charlotte Dorsey, Alice Nagel and Tom Foster

2016, Soroptimist International of Ashland

2017, Marilyn "Lyn" Levin

2018, Jason and Vanessa Houk

2019, Risa Buck

2020, Sandy Theis

2021, Paul Collins

2022, Michael S. Hersh (Memorial) 

2023, Ashland Folk Dance Leaders: Art Clemons, Ron Waitt, Jan Waitt and Venita Varga 

2024, Carol Carlson and Janet Troy 

2025, Charisse Sydoriak

2026, Debbie Neisewander