McNeal presented with national Jefferson Award

Mountain Home Mayor Joe B. McNeal was one of three Idahoans represented at the national Jefferson Awards banquet June 21-25 in Washington, D.C.

The Jefferson Awards, presented by the Jefferson Award Committee and the nation's media organizations, annually honor selected individuals from each state who have demonstrated a commitment to public service.

McNeal was nominated by local resident Henry Toy and KBCI Channel 2 for his work on behalf of citizens with developmental disabilities. McNeal was the driving force for many years behind the High Reachers program, which taught work and independent living skills to developmentally disabled adults in Mountain Home, and prior to his election as mayor last year he had been working for the Association for Retarded Citizens in southwestern Idaho.

McNeal was one of 105 individuals honored at this year's ceremonies from across the nation. Other honorees included such notables as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

Created in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and senators Robert Taft and Sam Beard, the awards are administered by the American Institute for Public Service.

"It was a great experience," McNeal said, "to be among so many distinguished American that work in their communities and make life better for so many people.

"We (he and his wife, Mildred, who accompanied him) met so many people who do all manner of things to make life a little bit better for their fellow man.

"I was so honored and humbled to be in their company."

McNeal said he felt almost out of place when he heard the stories of some of the things people had done, but then realized, in talking with his fellow honorees, "that all of them felt the same way. You do these things not because you're looking for recognition, but because you see a need. It's something that these people do naturally."

"We all felt like we were being given something we didn't deserve. The feeling was, 'isn't everyone doing this?' "

But the awards committee felt otherwise, paring down thousands of nominations to 105, although McNeal noted, "I was the only politician there."

McNeal noted that he and his fellow recipients "are just the tip of the iceberg. So many people in our community do so much. If you measured out in dollars, all the things that volunteers do in our community to make life better for others, there is no way governments could afford to provide those services.

"Not one person there said they thought they'd gotten there on their own. We all know that it takes a community of people pulling together to make things work."

The awards event was actually two banquets, one for the recipients to simply meet and hear each other's stories, and the other where the awards were handed out. Sen. Mike Crapo attended the second function, handing out the awards to the three recipients from Idaho -- McNeal, Kay Johnson of Blackfoot, and Idaho Pierce of Pocatello. "I felt honored to have Sen. Crapo there. A lot of senators didn't show up" to present the awards, although that is one of the hallmarks of the event. Some member of the congressional delegation from each state is supposed to make the formal presentation.

Like McNeal, Pierce is black. "A lot of people have this stereotypical image of Idaho, with the Aryan nations and everything, so they seemed a little surprised that two of the three from Idaho were black. I think we helped tear down a lot of stereotypes there," McNeal said.

McNeal and his wife met a number of national dignitaries during the visit, where the honorees were put up at the five-star Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and got a chance to do some sightseeing as well.