MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Boy Scouts of America, Mountaineer Area Council took time Thursday night to recognize distinguished citizens whose leadership and philanthropy make a positive difference in local communities and represent the values instilled by the scouts.

The event was held at the WVU Erickson Alumni Center to honor former WVU quarterback Jeff Hostetler as the Distinguished Citizen and Diversified Energy as the Distinguished Corporate Citizen. Secretary of State and Eagle Scout, Mac Warner was also honored with the National Eagle Scout Association’s Outstanding Eagle Scout Award.

The scouts also recognized the 2023 recipients of the Elbert K. Fretwell Outstanding Educator Award: Dr. Jay Cole and Dr. Michelle Richards-Babb of West Virginia University and Sharon Petitte of Ridgedale Elementary School in Monongalia County.

“It’s really important to be honoring these people tonight. It’s especially important because I think that by honoring these individuals, it shows the youth in our scouting programs, you know, the type of leaders that they can be the people who, who to look up to, who to set their goals to maybe mirror a little bit, and it really just really shows the importance of scouting and the values that come along with it,” said Alex Casey, the Development Executive for Boy Scouts of America, Mountaineer Area Council.

Casey said that it was a good night to get the community together to recognize individuals for their acts of service and the things that they are doing to make north central West Virginia a better place to live.

A presentation was also made by several outstanding scouts related to their personal achievements and Scouting experiences. The presentation allowed those scouts to share their experiences in being a scout and the positive impact that it has made on their lives.