The Mineral County Day Committee is proud to announce that the 2022 Honoree is:

Dinah Courrier

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There are few individuals who have the will, the foresight, or the capacity, to do more for Mineral County than Dinah Courrier.  Dinah has spent her lifetime reaching out to others and finding ways to improve the community.  Dinah has chosen to spend much of her time working on issues of social justice and diversity, and also the preservation and dissemination of Mineral County History.  Dinah established a council at Potomac State College to examine issues of social justice and to provide programs focused on diversity, which were open to the community.  Some of these included collaborating with Howard High School graduates to prepare a display on the positive aspects and the impact of segregated schools; coordinating a presentation by a Holocaust survivor; planning a program honoring the four black students who integrated Potomac State College in 1954; creating an annual week-long diversity celebration featuring various cultures; and establishing a dialogue between inner-city students and rural students.

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In 2009, Dinah founded Food for Thought with the goal of providing weekend food to students and of creating an awareness of poverty and food insecurities in Mineral County.  Today that program serves approximately 400 students each week.

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Dinah also believes deeply that examining and making history easily available to local residents is essential, not only to celebrate our past, and the local residents who were responsible for making history, but also to ensure we learn from their hard work and mistakes in order we replicate the good and avoid the bad.  Dinah co-edited the book "Keyser, WV 1874=1994", and in 2001 wrote the "History of Potomac State - the College Series".  Dinah co-produced a video on Mineral County history "Road Trip to History", which was aired on West Virginia Public Television.  

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More recently, recognizing the need for a Mineral County museum, Dinah and her husband donated space for the Mineral County Historical Society Museum, which opened in April, 2019.  Dinah serves as the museum coordinator, which involves researching and indexing donated items, arranging displays, writing grants, leading tours, and fielding numerous inquiries regarding genealogy and historical information.

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In Dinah's spare time, she is a member of several boards, including Aging and Family Services, Community Trust Foundation, and Keyser Rotary, which allows Dinah to be part of positive and lasting changes to our community.

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On January 20th, a group of folks from Mineral County were able to be present in both the House and Senate where Dinah and her family gathered to hear proclamations read about Dinah and her lifetime of achievements.  It is so important to recognize and celebrate people like Dinah, who really are the heroes of our little community.  Dinah wakes up every day trying to make life better around her.  How many of us can say the same?  We are so fortunate to have Dinah doing what she does, so the next time you see her, please thank her for all she has done, and continues to do.  In Charleston, Dinah was the honoree, but it really is all of the rest of us who are honored by her efforts.  Thank you Dinah!

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Past Honorees:

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Dr. Harry Boggs

Clifford Brooks, Sr.

Henry Gassaway Davis

Jonah Edward Kelley

Nancy Hanks

Mayor Doris Marks

Bill Pancake

Mike Price

Dinah Courrier

 

Mineral County’s 150th Anniversary

Don Redman

Jack Rollins

William Shuck, Jr.

Congressman Harley O. Staggers

Gary Wilson