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Former commissioner receives prestigious honor

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FAIRBORN — One only needed to look at W. Reed Madden’s hair to know what he was about.

The former Greene County Commissioner’s locks went in every direction, which was emblematic of Madden did personally. With more than four pages of board and commission memberships to his credit, Madden never said no.

And because of his vigor toward Greene County, Madden on Friday was posthumously given the prestigious E.J. Nutter Award, which is handed out annually to honor and recognize persons who have distinguished themselves and brought benefit to Greene County while keeping in line with the E.J. Nutter tradition.

“I’m sorry he was not here to accept it himself,” Judy Madden said about her husband, who died in 2013. “He loved Greene County.”

Madden served as a county commissioner from 1985-2005 and was one of the founding members of the Greene County Community Foundation, which started in 20o1.

The Dayton native served on the board of directors of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Greene County Historical Society, Beaver Creek Wetlands Association, Miami Valley RC&D, Wright B Flyer, Inc., National Aviation Parks Heritage Area, National Aviation Hall of Fame, and Miami Valley Military Affairs Association.

That’s just the beginning.

At the state and national level, Madden was on the boards of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio and the National Association of Counties, where he was active in legislative, economic development, environmental, and conservation issues.

Madden also volunteered with the Spring Valley Potato Festival, Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival, American Red Cross, and American Cancer Society and was active in the Waynesville Masonic Lodge #163, Scottish Rite Valley of Dayton, Warren County Shrine Club and the chambers of commerce at Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Fairborn, Spring Valley, Waynesville, Xenia, and Yellow Springs.

And somehow Madden also found time to run the W. Reed Madden Insurance Agency, which is still in business after 52 years.

In all, it was estimated that Madden was on at least three dozen boards and commissions.

Whew!

“He was with so many organizations that it’s amazing that he was able to get it all done, but he did,” Judy said. “It was just something he wanted to do. He did it. He accomplished a lot. It wasn’t a job. It was something that he truly, truly enjoyed doing.”

The award was presented during Greene County’s annual report to the community.

Whitney Vickers | Greene County News Diane Phillips (right), a member of the Nutter Award committee, presents the 2019 award to Judy Madden, wife of W. Reed Madden, who received the award posthumously. Madden
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/04/web1_countyreport1.jpgWhitney Vickers | Greene County News Diane Phillips (right), a member of the Nutter Award committee, presents the 2019 award to Judy Madden, wife of W. Reed Madden, who received the award posthumously. Madden

https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/04/web1_W.-Reed-Madden-3-.jpg

By Scott Halasz

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Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.