A Tamaqua woman described as being a “friend to many and a true leader” received the esteemed Shamrock Award from the Irish-American Association of the Panther Valley, Sunday night.

Maureen Donovan, active in numerous community organizations, was presented the award at the club’s 75th annual banquet held in the Hilltop Community Center, Summit Hill.

About 100 people attended, giving Donovan a long, standing ovation as she accepted a plaque from last year’s recipient and president of the association, Joe “Fuzzy” O’Donnell.

“This is a great honor,” she said appreciatively.

She quoted her mother, saying, “People judge you by the company you keep. I keep really good company.”

“The reason I’ve done anything I’ve done is because of the people in this room,” she said. Attending besides Irish-American Association members were peers from numerous organization of which she belongs, including St. Luke’s Miners campus, where she was the first woman to chair the board; the Tamaqua Business and Professional Women’s Club, where she serves as president; the American Cancer Society and the Tamaqua Community Partnership.

Donovan, who served as assistant director workforce and community services at Lehigh Carbon Community College, stressed the importance of volunteering, saying, “When you vote, you vote once a year. But when you volunteer, and you do something for your community, you do it every single day. You vote for the community you want it to be.”

She mentioned the positive attributes of the region, stating she encouraged her children and anyone else who has moved away to return.

Attorney Christine Holman of Tamaqua, a member of the BPW, described Donovan as “friend to man and a true leader. I believe this is Maureen’s recipe for success.”

“She stays the course and forges allies,” Holman said.

Other speakers included her daughter Lynn Milligan of New Jersey, who is the head women’s basketball coach at Rider University, and Micah J. Gursky of St. Luke’s Miners campus, who is also chairman of the Tamaqua Community Partnership.

Citations were given to her by State Sen. David Argall, State Reps. Doyle Heffley and Jamie Barton, a representative for Congressman Susan Wild and Carbon County Commissioners’ Chairman Michael Sofranko.

Toastmaster for the program was Patrick Crampsie.

The invocation and benediction were offered by the Rev. Robert George of the St. Joseph Parish of the Panther Valley.