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.