The Marion Chamber of Commerce will be celebrating milestones and our business community at its 100th annual awards celebration on January 14, 2021. Due to COVID-19 mitigations, this virtual program will be available to the Chamber membership and the public on www.marionillinois.com. The program will feature presentations by the Chamber, elected officials, and our 2020 award winners.  The Pepsi MidAmerica Virtual Pre Event Program and After Party will feature local musical talent. 

We are excited to announce the 2020 Citizen of the Year Award winner is Amanda Throgmorton. 

Author Christina Feist-Heilmeier wrote, “Every nurse was drawn to nursing because of a desire to care, to serve, or to help." Throgmorton has embodied that sentiment in her professional career and exemplified those goals with her boundless dedication to our community. 

Born and raised in Marion, Amanda found her calling in 1997 when, as a high school senior, she became a Certified Nurse Assistant at Marion Memorial Hospital. Since then, Marion Memorial became Heartland Regional, and Amanda has spent her entire career at Marion’s hometown hospital. 

Seeing continuing education as a path to professional growth, Amanda earned an associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing and master’s in business administration, all while working full-time at the hospital and raising her two sons, Hunter and Colton. 

Nurses can choose to serve the public in different ways. For Amanda, that path is on the front line during life’s most challenging times, literally caring for thousands of Southern Illinoisans over the years. 

In 2010, she was named Emergency Medical Services Coordinator and Disaster Management Coordinator. One year later, she was promoted to Emergency Department Manager. In 2017, Amanda transitioned into an advocacy role as Director of Professional Outreach. She went from serving on the frontline, providing patient care alongside physicians, to building and maintaining relationships with care partners throughout the region. 

“I’ve never seen the things I do as anything more than being a good human being and helping those in need,” Throgmorton said. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s at work or on the weekend, Amanda always puts others before herself. So, it may come as no surprise that even with a challenging job, and a wonderful family, she only finds work-life balance by giving generously of her free time to worthy causes. 

Throgmorton actively serves on the Heartland Rotary of Williamson County as Secretary, Veterans Honor Flight Welcome Committee, John A. Logan College Foundation Board, Marion Memorial Foundation Board, Healthy Southern Illinois Delta Network Steering Committee and Positive Youth Development Committee. You can also find her volunteering at the Lighthouse Shelter, Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army, Veterans Honor Flight, Hospice of Southern Illinois Red Carpet Gala, Caritas Coat Drive and The Nights Shield. 

The first Citizen of the Year Award was given in 1970 to Clara Boatright. Last year’s winner was Megan Jones-Zeller. Past winners of the Citizen of the Year Award can be viewed at https://www.marionillinois.com/award-winners.