Left to right: Sal Lupoli, chair, MVCC Board; Lane Glenn, recipient of the Wilkinson Award; Governor Charlie Baker; and Joe Bevilacqua, president/CEO, MVCC

Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn received the Wilkinson Good Citizenship Award at the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 4 based on his contributions to the chamber, the Lawrence Partnership, and the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission.

The award was presented by Joseph Bevilacqua, chamber president/CEO; Salvatore Lupoli, chairman of the chamber board; and Governor Charlie Baker, who was the guest speaker at the event.

In accepting the award, Glenn said “We all owe service to the space we occupy.”  He said his father U.S. Marine Master Sgt. Raymond Glenn of Houston, TX, is his inspiration.  Sgt. Glenn, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, stayed in Houston after the recent hurricane, volunteering to help those who had been impacted. He was at the event to watch his son receive his award.

Thomasina Glenn, Lane Glenn’s daughter, and Ray Glenn of Houston, Lane Glenn’s father.

Receiving the Community Spirit Award was former NECC trustee Dalia Diaz and her husband Alberto Suris, publishers of “Rumbo”, a weekly bilingual (English-Spanish) newspaper.  Other recipients included Kate Cook director of business development for Comfort Home Care, Emerging Leader Award, and the US Army’s Haverhill Recruiting Center, Leadership and Valor Award.