Craig received his award on August 17 at a ceremony held at North Bank Pavilion, 311 West Long Street.

By IKE MGBATOGU

Contributing Writer

COLUMBUS – Columbus City Councilmember Hearcel F. Craig takes immense pride in his job as a public servant.  A lifelong resident of Columbus, he joined the council in April 2007.  On the council, he is the President Pro Tem and chairs the Health, Housing, and Human Services Committee.

Outside of the council, he is praised both for his commitment to public service and his spirit of giving.

For all that he does, Craig was recently named the 2011 Public Servant of the Year by Community Shares of Central Ohio (CoSMO).  The award is given annually to public servants in Central Ohio, elected or appointed, who have exemplified and encouraged the spirit of giving in general and specifically through the charity campaign endeavors sponsored by CoSMO.

Founded in 1993, CoSMO is an umbrella coalition of 65 local-based organizations involved with promoting workplace giving campaign that helps provide a wide range of social and environmental services and address myriad community issues, including “social change and justice.”

Craig, who also chairs the Minority, Business and Workforce Development Committee, expressed gratitude for receiving the award.

“It is an honor to be recognized by a group whose impact is felt everyday in the lives of Columbus residents,” said Craig.  “Community Shares helps people understand that the need to support social service agencies and their missions does not end with government, it is a responsibility shared by all.”

And it’s a responsibility CoSMO appreciates sharing with many who are unstinting employees of the City of Columbus.

“Community Shares values its partnerships with public workplaces, like the City of Columbus, who allow public employees the opportunity to give back to the community through workplace giving campaigns,” said the group’s Executive Director Melisa Magers.

She praised Craig for his dedication to helping others through his services in government and outside of it.  “We are privileged to honor Councilmember Craig for his support for our members like SAVE and City Year as well as his commitment to bettering the city.”

Craig received his award on August 17 at a ceremony held at North Bank Pavilion, 311 West Long Street.

Mgbatogu is a freelance writer and editor of Onumba.com based in Columbus. He can be reached by email at Onumbamedia@yahoo.com