“Old-timers” in Hamilton County may recall that Claude Ramsey, now our four-term Hamilton County mayor, was first widely recognized as a mere teenager, when the Jaycees honored him as “Star Farmer of the Year” for his farming and nationwide shipping of strawberry plants.
Well, that was just an early sign of the many distinctions Mr. Ramsey would earn in various forms of public service. Now he has been duly tapped for national honor.
On May 7-8 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., Mayor Ramsey was one of five national leaders receiving the first Leadership for Healthy Communities Leadership Award sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in promoting childhood health.
The others who were honored with Mayor Ramsey are New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Rio Grande City (Texas) Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Roel Gonzalez, and Columbia (Mo.) Mayor Darwin Hindman.
These leaders are being recognized for their efforts to discourage childhood obesity. Mayor Ramsey has promoted walkable commercial development, neighborhood schools and parks, walking trails, neighborhood connections, safe routes to schools, greenways, bicycle programs, streetscaping and other encouragements for personal exercise, along with promoting healthy menu selections in restaurants and other programs for youthful lifestyles.
Mayor Ramsey, who also has served admirably as a member of the Tennessee General Assembly, assessor of property in Hamilton County and county commissioner before being elected county mayor, has also been active in promoting education, economic development, and was named Chattanooga Area Manager of the year in 2003.
More recently, Mayor Ramsey has played a major role among local leaders in attracting the new billion-dollar Volkswagen plant to Hamilton County, as one of his many efforts for local economic development.
We have known Mayor Ramsey for many years as an outstanding citizen and leader. It is rewarding to us all for him to receive well-deserved national recognition.
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