Ann Taylor was recently recognized for her many years of service to Heath Springs.
Taylor, who’s been mayor of the county’s smallest municipality since 1990, received the Hettie Ricket Leadership Award last month in North Myrtle Beach.
The S.C. Community Development Association presented the award, which honors those who are community-development leaders. The group is affiliated with the Municipal Association of South Carolina.
Grazier Rhea, community development director for the Catawba Regional Council of Governments (COG), nominated Taylor for the award.
Taylor said she was flattered by the recognition.
“I was completely caught off guard,” she said. “I was very appreciative of it.”
Taylor has played a huge role in Heath Springs receiving repeated grant money to replace the town’s old water lines. She was also instrumental in securing funding to build the town’s senior citizens center and the creation of the industrial park off Kershaw Camden Highway.
Taylor has served on the board for the Catawba Regional Council of Governments for 30 years.
She’s also involved with the S.C. Association of Regional Councils and serves on the board for Lancaster County Economic Development Corp.
“Improving quality of life has been my ambition, and I hope that has happened,” Taylor said.
About the association
The S.C. Community Development Association provides a forum for learning about the community-development process.
Its members include municipal, county, regional and state community-development professionals, as well as employees of private companies with an interest in community development, elected officials and volunteers.
The Hettie Ricket Leadership Award is named after Hettie Ricket, a native of Cassatt in neighboring Kershaw County.
She worked to get water service for that community.
She got involved with the Cassatt water district in 1972 – a time when water service wasn’t available in that area.
By Jesef Williams, staff reporter with The Lancaster News
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