(Spirit Lake)—The Coordinator of the Cleanwater Alliance is this year’s recipient of the Ace Cory Award. The Okoboji Protective Association presented the award to John Wills at its annual meeting held this past Saturday. Wills tells KUOO news he was completely surprised by the announcement…(click here for comment.) “I didn’t really expect that was something I would be getting and when I was at the annual meeting Saturday and they announced my name I was totally flabergasted and honored that the fact that you know people outside my field who are seeing things happen and want to honor me for doing what they think is good things and I just think of all the people who are doing such great things in the Iowa Great Lakes and in Dickinson county and for them to choose me I was just very honored.”
Wills says he has a lot of fond memories of Ace Cory and his hard work to protect the Iowa Great Lakes…(click here for comment.) “I just remember back in the 90’s working here and Ace Cory walking in the door and saying what do you need to get done, because I’ll get it done. And he would do that over and over again. And of course he came up with the slogan if the lakes are green the cash registers won’t ring. So that was kind of his slogan and his reasoning for protecting the lakes and many memories he’s had as a kid and his children had. So he just wanted to protect the lakes and keep them the way they are so many more can come and visit and enjoy them.”
The Ace Cory Award has been presented by the OPA annually since 2006. Previous recipients of the award include John Synhorst, Barbara Mendenhall, Jane Shuttleworth, Orville Berg, David Thoreson, Phil Petersen and Mike Hawkins.
John Wills
