In the 32 years the YMCA of Kanawha Valley has given its annual Spirit of the Valley award, only five recipients have been women.
When Charleston City Councilwoman Mary Jean Davis learned she was selected as this year's recipient of the honor, which has in the past included the likes of Nelle Chilton and former Gov. Gaston Caperton, she thought there had been a mistake.
But Davis' longtime commitment to the City of Charleston through myriad volunteer efforts and a 16-year tenure on City Council hasn't gone unnoticed.
The award, which is given to people who have exemplified service and leadership in the Kanawha Valley, will be presented to Davis during a YMCA luncheon at noon Wednesday at the Charleston Civic Center.
Davis got her start in community service as a student at Charleston High School in the late 1950s.
"Through the Junior League of Charleston, I received a lot of training on volunteerism," she said.
Growing up on Hansford Street on the East End, Davis' family all worked at the nearby Kyle Furniture Co.
"The neighborhoods were amazing as far as character. It was black, white, Italian, Jew - it was an amazing neighborhood to grow up in."
That all changed when the City of Charleston began to condemn homes in the area for the construction of an interstate highway in the early 1960s. Davis' family moved to Kanawha City.
"It was extremely hard for me to understand; when the interstate came through, it caused the neighborhoods to break up."
That experience lent itself to Davis' decision to run for City Council - but it wouldn't happen until 1999, when her children were in college.
Not everyone supported her, including a friend who discouraged her from running because she didn't like conflict.
Davis was told she wouldn't win her first election, but she did just that.
"I was told you never win the first time. My first year of office was a real eye opener, and I felt like I was baptized by fire because I wanted everyone to be happy," Davis recalled. "After 16 years, I've learned that I can't make everybody happy."
As one of City Council's six members at large, public service is a full time job for Davis.
She chairs City Council's Planning Committee and holds positions on the city's Municipal Planning Commission, the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority, the Strong Neighborhoods Task Force, the Civic Center Board, and the Charleston Visitors and Convention Bureau board.
Davis said she wouldn't be where she is without the support of her husband, K. Paul.
One project she's particularly proud to have played a role in was the creation of Haddad Riverfront Park and Schoenbaum Stage.
"One of the things I don't think people understand is how many meetings you have to [attend] to get a plan off the ground," Davis said. "The one thing that's hard for this award is, there's not a thing that I've ever done by myself. It takes commitment, it takes volunteers."
A parishioner at First Presbyterian Church, Davis said that's what keeps her grounded "when things get a little out of hand."
For about 10 years, Davis has also worked to raise funds for the YMCA Spirit of the Valley campaign, which helps pay for memberships for local youths, program participation and building rental fees, and after-school and summer school child care programs.
This year, the YMCA set a campaign goal of $350,000. As of Friday, it had raised about 85 percent of its goal, said Andreea Slusarciuc, director of business development.
"The Y gives children the benefits they can't have, and the Y can't give it without people who donate," Davis said.
She noted that this has been a particularly difficult year for West Virginians.
"In the southern part of our state, we have coal mines that have stopped. We have businesses that are hurting because the coal has stopped. We have the flooding that hit," Davis said.
"The fundraising effort for this Spirit of the Valley was one that I have worried a great deal about."
The YMCA does not choose the award recipient. Instead, a committee composed of previous award winners selects the recipient.
Tickets to the award luncheon are still available at $175 each. They can be purchased at the door, by calling the YMCA at 304-340-3527 or by emailing ldoyle@ymcaofkv.org.
Reach Elaina Sauber at
elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com,
304-348-3051 or follow
@ElainaSauber on Twitter.