Chamber honors Tommye Prater for work on Christmas in October

It wasn’t until her final comment that you might have guessed about whom Maurine Nathanson was talking when she named Tommy Prater as the Salado Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year during the Jan. 8 Chamber Awards Banquet at Tenroc Ranch. 

“If you want the job to get done, and the project to succeed, put this person in charge,” Nathanson said. “This is a person who volunteers for many things, and is the first one there, the last to leave, and works harder than anyone.

“This person has many mouths to feed, and not all are human. This is a person who is always upbeat and laughing, and ready to help friends and family,” Nathanson added.

The possibilities began to narrow with these clues:

“Spends a lot of time with numbers.”

“Drives a small car, but then is a small person.”

“Loves QVC, but also shops Salado.”

Nathanson then told the audience of almost 200 gathered that the recipient has been married 30 years and has two children and three grand-children.

Nathanson then nailed it down to just one when she said. “This person has been the chairman for many years of the largest and most successful fund raiser in Salado, Christmas in October.”