By Nathan Brunet

Staff Writer

BERLIN – For her years of volunteer work, including service as chairperson of Main Street Berlin, Treasure Chest owner Terri Sexton is this year’s recipient of the annual Berlin Award, an honor that was bestowed on her last Thursday at the 47th annual Berlin Award Banquet.

“I was very honored and surprised to hear my name called that evening,” Sexton said this week.

As is the custom at the awards ceremony sponsored by the Berlin Lions Club, the guest speaker lists the attributes of the winner before the name is revealed.

Such was the case, when Crouse of the Salisbury Training Center for Blind Senior Adults spoke on how her work compares to that of person who is deserving of the Berlin Award.

“You must have a desire to be something bigger than yourself. By believing in others and helping them become successful, amazing and wonderful things happen,” Crouse said.

When Crouse sat, it was Victorian Charm co-owner Steve Frene’s moment to announce the winner.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes in this town and this person was involved in just about all of them,” Frene said.

James ‘Bud’ Church, president of the Worcester County Commissioners, then stood and presented a letter of congratulations signed by the County Commissioners to Sexton.

For a person to be selected by the committee, he or she must be nominated by a member of the community. A secret committee then selects the winner.

“Terri [Sexton] has done an outstanding job doing a lot for Berlin,” said an anonymous committee member. “She is an important part of the success of Berlin and we were pleased she was nominated. It was a well deserved award.”

According to Michael Day, director of economic and community development for Berlin, Sexton has been a major influence on Main Street Berlin’s success.

Since its inception in 2009, the organization has made many improvements to the town, such as placing way-finding signs on the town’s light poles.

“I feel our success has had a lot to do with her leadership,” Day said.

Sexton now joins four of her family members who also won the award. Her uncle, Tim Rayne, won the award in 2008 with his wife, Christine, while another uncle, Denman E. Rayne earned the title in 1994. Cousins Audrey Pennington and Joel Todd received the award in 1969 and 2010, respectively.

“I feel it shows how much of a contribution my family have given to the area throughout generations,” Sexton said.

Sexton’s award will hang on her wall next to other community service honors she has received in recent years.

In 2009, she earned Main Street Berlin’s first Volunteer of the Year award. More recently, she won “The Dispatch’s” Shore Stars Women Leaders Campaign award in 2011. Also last year, she beat out 800 members of the national Independent Jewelers Organization to earn the Recognition Award for Community Leadership.

While the award wall is being filled, Sexton is not using that as an excuse to cease her help to the community.

“I will continue to volunteer and give to the town as I have always done,” she said.