Lange, Arndt to get Chamber honors

Dr. Perry Arndt Lifetime Achievement honoree; Amanda Lange named 2023 Person of theYear

The Medford Area Chamber of Commerce recognition awards have returned this year with Amanda Lange being named the 2023 Person of the Year and Dr. Perry Arndt receiving Lifetime Achievement Award recognition.

Also being recognized, Jeff Miller will receive the J.A. O’Leary Distinguished Community Service Award and Gwen Jones is the inaugural winner of the Gwen Jones Ambassador of the Year Award. In addition, Vi Nelson is being recognized with an employee excellence award.

The award ceremony will be held Saturday, January 28 at the Centennial Community Center in Stetsonville.

See CHAMBER on page 9 Person of the year

Amanda Lange is Director of Community Health at Aspirus, a position she has held for the past 10 years. She serves as executive director of the newly created Fulcrum Foundation. She has numerous years of High School volleyball coaching, co-runs a successful club volleyball program, was an original board member for Huey’s Hideaway Children’s museum, serves as a MACC Ambassador and a youth softball coach.

Her nomination states: “The Person of the Year through the Medford Area Chamber of Commerce is a recognition of an individual who has made both personal and professional contributions to our local community and our citizens. I am proud to nominate and support Amanda (AJ) Lange for your consideration. AJ has made significant contributions to our children, families, and community in mental health, children’s development, community health, and community advancement.

The CARES Model originated as a mental health partnership among Aspirus, Counseling Connection, and Medford Schools. AJ advocated for this model, helped bridge partnerships, and expanded this to other school districts helping create mental health services and support for over 125 students on an annual basis. She serves on the Taylor County Mental Health Council, CARES Mental Health Navigation meetings, organized a Family Mental Health Night, implements Walk Together for Suicide Awareness, and leads the Aspirus Mental Health Committee meetings.

In the area of children’s development - AJ has also been a leader. This has been demonstrated through her being at the forefront of bringing Huey’s Hideaway Children Museum here for our children and families, serving as a club volleyball coach for adolescents, volunteered at the Grades 7-12 Navy Seals Leadership events, and was an integral part of the Our Village Playground committee helping bring an inclusive playground to our community.

The health of a community is so important. AJ helped lead community conversations through the Community Health Improvement Project working in collaboration with the Health Department, school districts, and other community partners. She is a board member of the TaylorCounty Drug Opposition Partners and voluntarily participates in Drug Free Events. AJ is the primary leader of the Taylor County Health and Safety Fair held in March.

In the area of community advancement - without her personal and professional work ethic there might not be a Fulcrum Foundation, Huey’s Hideaway, Our Village Playground, or a CARES Model. AJ spends countless hours during and outside of the normal work day making a difference in our community.

As a lifelong resident of Medford AJ has made significant personal and professional contributions, makes personal connections with residents and organizations, is a leader by example for her children and other young women, demonstrates volunteerism at community events, and is an excellent representative of what the Medford community is all about.”

Lifetime Achievements

Dr. Perry Arndt will be recognized as the 2023 Lifetime Achievement honoree.

His nomination states: “That unmistakable voice. That witty sense of humor. Dr. Perry Arndt has most certainly made his mark on Taylor County and beyond for many years.

Growing up in a family that owned their own business, Dr. Arndt had the love of taking care of people from an early age. From coaching little league in Medford during the summers while he was a college student to being a coach for traveling basketball teams, to building a successful practice that has taken care of people in the community for over 45 years.

Dr. Arndt started Medford Eye Clinic, now known as HealthView Eye Care Center, in the summer of 1973 after completing his undergrad at UW River Falls and graduating with his doctorate from the Illinois College of Optometry.

Medford Eye Clinic started its journey in the previous, Medford clinic building. As his practice grew, Dr. Arndt purchased the Immanuel Lutheran Church building on Broadway to construct his new office. In 1999, an additional practice in Colby was purchased to expand care to outlying communities.

Medford Eye Clinic was always on the forefront of technology thanks to Dr. Arndt’s visionary approach to always wanting the newest technology and care for his patients. He brought in state of the art equipment to help diagnose glaucoma, macular degeneration and other eye diseases. Medford Eye Clinic was the first in the area to fit contact lenses for patients. Dr. Arndt also put in a lab facility to increase patient services in the community. By using the inhouse lab, he was able to fabricate and supply glasses to people in need overseas through humanitarian organizations.

Throughout his practicing years, Dr. Arndt served on the WOA (Wisconsin Optometric Association) board as a representative of the Wisconsin Valley Optometric Association. The association advocated for scholarships and continuing education for advancing optometry in our state. He is also a lifetime member of the AOA (American Optometric Association) and the WOA (Wisconsin Optometric Association).

Dr. Arndt always welcomed mentoring young members of the community by providing a program for work study students through the Medford School District program. He is proud to have played a role in assisting 6-8 work study students throughout the years, go on to become Optometrists.

Always caring for the eye health of our community, Dr. Arndt initiated vision screenings at the local schools and cared for the eye health of residents on-site at area long-term nursing facilities. He also did many public speaking seminars for seniors at the Gilman Senior Center and the Medford Hospital through the Commission on Aging. Dr. Arndt has and is still an active leader in the community. He served on the Medford Hospital Board, Prevail Bank Board, is a member of the Lions Club and a member of the Aspirus Community Needs Committee. The Aspirus Community Needs committee, helped support projects such as updating playground equipment for the physically impaired and donating money to the Gilman School District to construct a new weight room for the school and the community.

First Baptist Church is another one of his passions. He has been an active member of the church serving on different church boards, teaching Sunday school and is now involved with the after school program at the Cutting Edge Youth Center.

His bass voice can be heard in the beautiful Promise Quartet that performs a Free Community Christmas Concert for donations only. Donations are then distributed locally to the Food Pantry and Abiding Care. Many have enjoyed the quartet for years as they have performed at the annual Senior Health Fair.

When Dr. Arndt was not taking care of patients you could find him on the golf course, softball and baseball fields or involved with the trap club. He was a Medford High School Trap Coach for two years volunteering his time to coaching and raising money for improvement to the grounds. As an optometrist, his skills improved marksmanship at the trap club. He was very active in educating shooters about the different colors to enhance contrast that can be put into shooting glasses that protect their eyes. He even came up with his own design of a lens called “Bow Tint” that was a well received tool by avid bow hunters.

Dr. Perry Arndt is, without a doubt, a legacy in the Medford community. We are truly lucky to have someone whose passion is taking care of the people in our community and beyond.”

J.A. O’Leary Award

The J.A. O’Leary Award is named after the late publisher of The Star News and is awarded to active community members who have passed away before receiving recognition as either a person of year or lifetime achievement.

Jeff Miller is this year’s recipient of the J.A. O’Leary Distinguished Community Service.

Miller passed away this summer and his absence has been felt from so many in the Medford business community.

His nomination states, “Jeff’s heart is with the downtown and our community. . . . He was always working on projects for our city.”

The annual Chair Affair was one of his favorite projects he worked on and helped get started.

Ambassador of the Year Award

This year the Chamber is starting to present an Ambassador of the Year Award to recognize the outstanding work by Chamber Ambassadors over the course of the year.

The first recipient of this award will be Gwen Jones, who will be receiving it posthumously.

Jones was extremely involved as an ambassador. She chaired many of the events and committees. Moreover, she brought a willingness to work, a great attitude and just enough sassiness to be a great leader.

Going forward, the award will be called the Gwen Jones Ambassador of the Year Award.

Employee excellence

When the selection committee was reviewing the Employee Excellence Award nominations, Vi Nelson shined above all others.

According to her nomination, “Vi is the voice that everyone is glad to hear when they call the chamber office! . . . Her positive and kind demeanor gets us all through the day. . . . She takes care of so many of the little things for our members.”

Through her efforts she has increased the membership of the Chamber.

Vi Nelson (center) is the 2023 Employee Excellence Award Winner. She works at the Medford Area Chamber of Commerce and is pictured with Chamber president Sue Emmerich (left) and vice president Billie Hartwig (right).Brian Wilson/The Star News

The late Jeff Miller is the 2023 recipient of the J.A. O’Leary Memorial Award. He was active in the business community and a tireless promoter of the downtown area. He died unexpectedly in July 2022.

The late Gwen Jones is the recipient of the inaugural Gwen Jones Ambassador of the Year Award. She was a very active Ambassador prior to her death in August 2022.