DISTINGUISHED PERSON OF THE YEAR 2025

Each year, the New Holstein Area Chamber of Commerce honors a community member(s) or organization for their positive influence on our community.  The chosen candidate(s) will have shown a concern for the well-being of their fellow citizens by their leadership, example and community involvement.  Nominations are accepted by the Chamber and a committee will select the winner.

Nominations due by October 1, 2025

Download "Distinguished Person Nomination Papers 2025.doc"

Congratulations to Jerry Hallstrom
2024 New Holstein Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Person of the Year

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Ed Shell
2023 New Holstein Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Person of the Year

Ed Shell’s  “…decades of working in organizations which benefit New Holstein youths have not gone unnoticed by others, and for that Shell will be recognized on Thursday, Jan. 11 as New Holstein’s Distinguished Person of the Year by the New Holstein Area Chamber of Commerce.
When it comes to his record of service, foremost on his resume is his incredible tenure as part of the New Holstein Boy Scout program.
Born in 1946, Shell became a New Holstein Cub Scout in 1954 at the age of 8 and today he remains on the New Holstein Scout Committee. With the calendar turning to 2024, that is basically 70 years of being involved in Boy Scouting.
While his work with Boy Scouts is the top item on Shell’s resume, it is hardly the only one. He said he spent 41 years as a member of the New Holstein Kiwanis Club.  He served as an alderman on the New Holstein Common Council for four years while Jerry Wink was mayor, was a union president for 10 years, and also served as a part-time police officer for the New Holstein Police Department for about 10 years. Surprisingly, Ed said that was on a volunteer basis as well. Summarizing why he has done so much volunteer work over the years, Shell said, ‘My dedication toward youths. It was fun. It’s just great to see kids grow up.’” (source: Tri-County News January 4, 2024)
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Dianne Reese - 2022 Distinguished Person of the Year 



For her life-long record of service to New Holstein which continues to this day, Dianne Reese has been named New Holstein’s Distinguished Person of the Year for 2022 by the New Holstein Area Chamber of Commerce.

Reese has served the community in a variety of ways over the years. When she and husband Ron owned New Holstein True Value Hardware, they were strong supporters of community causes. She later entered city government including serving as mayor and was a “hands-on” mayor—even helping to pull invasive weeds from the prairie area at Kiwanis Park.
She has been a longtime member of the New Holstein Kiwanis Club and has served the club in a variety of capacities. Reese continues to serve in her retirement years, currently working on a project to get new organization signs at the entrances to the community as well as helping the Kiwanis ‘n Cops ‘n Kids reading program. (source: Tri-County News, December 15, 2022)