Gary Betts of Sweet Home has been chosen Logger of the Year — for the second time — by the Associated Oregon Loggers.
Betts, 58, was honored at the 36th annual AOL convention in Eugene last month.
The award is given to a logger who has “demonstrated exemplary performance in the logging industry” and who has contributed substantial amounts of time to the industry and to his community, said Jim Geisinger, AOL executive vice president.
Betts has served in a wide variety of capacities for AOL, including 12 years on the Executive Committee, which has required “a huge commitment of time,” Geisinger said.
He has served in a variety of positions, including president of AOL, and chaired a variety of committees including the Political Action Committee, the Public Relations Committee and the Insurance Committee.
“Really, more than any other single member we have, Gary has served in all sorts of capacities,” Geisinger said.
Betts also received the award in 1991.
“Since then, if anything, he has become more active in the association, rather than less,” Geisinger said.
A lot of folks receive the award and fade into the sunset.”
Betts said he was surprised and honored.
“An award like that — it’s always nice when your peers recognize you,” he said. “It’s about like the First Citizen’s Award (given by the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce). I was surprised.”
Betts started logging in 1970 in a two-man operation, which operated throughout the West, from “Mexico City to northern Cananda,” he said.
His current firm, More Fibre Inc., which he runs with his wife Mary, employs nine people and does a lot of work for Weyerhaueser and for the Miami Corporation of McMinnville, he said.
Mary Betts said her husband, over the years, has been “a silent contributor” to the community in many ways, including providing support to high school athletes who need help, helping to plan the Jim Riggs Community Center and supporting such community events as the Boys and Girls Club Auction and the St. Helen’s Women’s Club Auction.