The Allen County Visionaries presented the prestigious Visionary of the Year Awards at their annual dinner Thursday night.  These awards are given to members of the Visionaries and members of the community who have worked to promote economic development and the betterment of our community.  All proceeds from the dinner go to fund economic development efforts in Allen County.

The Visionary of the Year Award was Jim Reber.  Reber is President/CEO of Health Innovations Ohio.  He retired as President/CEO of St. Rita's Health Partners in 2012 after 24 years with the hospital. 

During his tenure, the hospital achieved many milestones:  helping bring open heart surgery to Allen County in 1997, partnering with other hospitals to form the West Central Ohio Regional Healthcare Alliance, completion of a new five-story building in 1993 and the eight-story patient tower in 1998, and along the way, helping Allen County become a hub for healthcare in West Central Ohio. 

He volunteers his time to numerous organizations including the Allen County Visionaries, the United Way of Greater Lima, the Lima Family YMCA, Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce, Lima Symphony Orchestra and the Shawnee Schools. 

The Visionary Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Harry Shutt, owner of Kewpee Hamburgers.  Shutt is very active in the community, having served as trustee of the First Baptist Church, on the Board of Directors for the Allen County Restaurant Association, the board of the West Central Kidney Foundation, the board of the Chamber of Commerce, the board of the Lima Symphony Orchestra, the board of the Greater Downtown Association, and as a member of the livestock sale committee of the Allen County Fair. 

Also, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Council for the Arts of Greater Lima, the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center Foundation and Memorial Hospital Foundation Board.  

Shutt has served on advisory boards at Ohio Northern University and The Ohio State University at Lima.  He is a member of the National Restaurant Association and a charter member of the Restaurant Hall of Fame of Ohio.