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Community Volunteer
Day Honoree
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Joe Mechem
Farmland Protection
Board
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The Morgan County Farmland Protection Board
honors Joe Mechem as their Volunteer of the
Year. He was born on a small farm in Morgan
County. He graduated from Berkeley Springs High
School and WVU with a bachelor of science in
Forest Management.
Mechem joined the Army
Reserves and upon his release, was hired by the
Maryland Department of Resources Forest and Park
Service. He was recalled back to military
service where he spent a combined service time
of 36 years. He returned to work with the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources as
Forest Manager in Garrett County, Md. where he
retired and moved back to Berkeley Springs in
2006.
He became a member of the Farmland
Protection Board in 2006 and currently sits as
the Chairman of the Board. When he isn’t helping
monitor farmland easements and attending
meetings he is busy volunteering his time. He
delivered meals for the Senior Center for 15
years, he has helped build homes for needy
families and repair flood damaged homes. He
helps with Camp Joy Projects in Morgan County
and neighboring counties. For the past 12 years,
he has been active in prison ministry in
Virginia and Maryland.
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| Morgan Messenger, April 16, 2014, p.5 |
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