ABOVE: Vermilion Advantage’s Dana Rowland and Jodie Ingram unveil the special street sign for downtown’s portion of Walnut being named “Honorary Vicki Haugen Way.”
It was supposed to happen at the corner of Walnut and North, but Thursday morning’s (Aug 6th) ceremony for naming the Downtown Danville portion of Walnut as “Honorary Vicki Haugen Way” was just as special, not to mention crowded, inside Danville City Hall.
The emcee was former WDAN – D102 – KROCK general manager Mike Hulvey. Afterwards he recalled not only being in economic development meetings with Haugen, but even more importantly what it was like when you received an e-mail from Vicki Haugen.
AUDIO: And when Vicki was working on a project; she needed action, you better be ready. Because she would track you down; and, she never took no for answer. And I just love that tenacity and that grit and that focus. Anyone that had any work with Vicki on projects knows exactly what I’m talking about. It’s one of the reasons we have what we have in our community today.
(1st Picture) Emcee Mike Hulvey welcomes everyone. (3rd Picture) DHS senior Malia Roberson signs the National Anthem.
And in Vicki Haugen’s nearly 40 years of leading first the local Economic Development Corporation, and then Vermilion Advantage after the merger with the Danville Chamber of Commerce, there were so many major challenges, and celebrations. Former Mayor Scott Eisenhauer recalled working with Haugen on the Meijer and Kohl’s project. Eisenhauer says what Haugen saw at the end of the tunnel following a tough meeting on that one was not a light, but the opening of a bottle.
AUDIO: At the end of it we would say, “But the glass of champagne at the end of this is going to taste go good. My greatest memory will always be sitting in the parking lot the night before Meijer’s opened, with a bottle of champagne, toasting each other, for the ultimate success, of all those trials and tribulations.
Vicki Haugen’s stepdaughter Diana Stewart and Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr share their memories
Diana Stewart shared some memories about her stepmother, Vicki Haugen. Stewart said she could not have handled doing that a couple years ago; but this time around, the love and energy all around helped her get through it.
AUDIO: You know the memories are challenging, and they’re very heartfelt. But the energy in this room is just so incredibly supportive and warm; that I think that really helped me put it together, to say what I wanted to say about Vicki.
State Rep Brandun Schweizer and former Vermilion Advantage director Todd Lee pay tribute to Vicki Haugen.
It was mentioned that the Danville area may have never bounced back from setbacks like the closing of the General Motors Central Foundry plant without Vicki Haugen. Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr says that’s just one small part of the entire story.
AUDIO: And quite honestly there are thousands of jobs that wouldn’t be here, maybe 10,000-plus jobs; that wouldn’t be here in Danville and Vermilion County without her. So for that, we will be forever grateful.
This ceremony took place shortly after Vicki Haugen’s birthday, which was on the 27th of July.
