The membership of Preservation Woodstock Inc. has selected Jim Drinkard as the recipient of the 2014 Barbara G. Ingram Citizen of the Year Award. The Barbara G. Ingram Citizen of the Year Award is presented annually to a Woodstock resident who has made notable contributions toward the preservation of the city's heritage.

Juanita Hughes, historian for the City of Woodstock, says Drinkard was chosen for his involvement in Preservation Woodstock, including serving as chairman for this past year and the year ahead. "Jim Drinkard's interest in the preservation of Woodstock's history came naturally to him. As grandson of Linton Dean, he grew up in the shadow of Dean's Store, surrounded by Woodstock's people and landmarks, always aware of his heritage," she says. "He brought fresh, new ideas to the organization and was instrumental in establishing a website. The Preservation Woodstock exhibit of Women in Woodstock's History was made extra special by Jim's generosity in sharing his grandmother's 1915 wedding dress."

Drinkard says he feels honored to join the list of Citizen of the Year winners, all of whom have made wonderful contributions to preserving significant aspects of historic Woodstock. "Growing up in a household with a grandfather and parents who themselves added so much to that history and loved Woodstock makes my staying involved with preservation a natural activity to continue," he says. "I am so proud that my grandfather's store, where I spent so much time as a child, has been such a unique visitor's center for the city, and very much enjoyed assisting my aunt in remodeling it several years back so that it could serve that purpose. It is vital that we pass on and maintain the heritage of old Woodstock to future generations."

Drinkard will be honored publicly with the Citizen of the Year Award during the Christmas Jubilee celebration at the gazebo at The Park at City Center on December 6.