Radio host honored as citizen of the year

Fred Parry’s wife, Melody, his children and his friends were all keeping a secret from him Tuesday night as they headed for the Chamber of Commerce’s 101st Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet where the 2006 Outstanding Citizen Award was to be announced.

At the reception, the speakers introduced the recipient in general terms, only naming him at the last minute.

“It was kind of a game every year, we were trying to guess who would get it,” Parry said. “I really didn’t recognize myself. Now that I look back, the clues were very obvious.”

Parry, who co-hosts Morning Meeting on KFRU/1400 AM with Simon Rose and publishes the magazine Inside Columbia, was named Columbia’s citizen of the year. He was recognized for supporting the local business community and serving in several government and nonprofit organizations, such as the Central Missouri Food Bank, the Rotary Club of Columbia-Northwest, the Boone Hospital Center Board of Trustees, the Columbia Housing Authority and the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre.

“There is truly no one in the Columbia community who presents the good news side of business better than Fred,” said Dave Griggs, owner of Dave Griggs’ Flooring America and the 2005 recipient of the citizen of the year honor, who is one of several who nominated Parry.

Peggy Kirkpatrick, executive director of the food bank, said she supported Parry, too.

“He’s been incredibly important to this organization,” she said. “Not only has he spearheaded a number of food and money collections that have raised over $500,000, he has used his position and influence over the years to raise public awareness of the hunger issue.” Potential award winners are nominated by their peers and a committee of chamber members selects the recipient. The committee looks for someone who is involved in the community and interested in making Columbia and Boone County better places to live, Chamber of Commerce President Don Laird said.

“I’m involved in several organizations that take a lot of time, my wife would tell you that,” Parry said. Yet, he said he gets a lot of satisfaction from it and feels duty-bound to give back to the community.

“It’s not like it’s work,” he said.