Francesville's Charles Mellon (center) received a Golden Hoosier Award Sept. 24, at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. With him (l-r) are Michael and Tiffany Holle, Rob Evans and Tyson Mellon.

Mellon with Lt. Gov. Crouch

The ideal recipient is considered an unsung hero who has not received previous recognition for the impact they have made in the lives of others and the community.

Mellon has a lifetime of service in education and community projects. He will also retire at the end of this year as a Pulaski County Commissioner. He was nominated for the award by retired West Central High School teacher Rob Evans.

Retired educator Chuck Mellon is a master at assessing the needs of Francesville’s citizens and strives to make the town a better place for all, Evans noted in his nomination letter. “Take a close look at all good things that happen in Francesville, he added, “and rest assured Chuck Mellon most likely had a part in it.”

Mellon closed his career in education in 2014 when he retired as superintendent of West Central Schools. In addition to serving as a county commissioner, his most recent community projects have included:

• Serving as president of Francesville’s Humanitarian Distribution Center, a warehouse that receives food donations from individuals and businesses and coordinates deliveries to over 35 food pantries in north and central Indiana.
• Volunteering as a founding member of the Francesville Market Cooperative which opened the Francesville Market grocery in 2021 (after the town’s grocery and pharmacy stores closed years earlier). In 2024, the Cooperative facilitated the much-anticipated Pulaski Memorial Community Pharmacy satellite as well.

Since 2008, Hoosiers have been recognized for service to their communities with the Golden Hoosier Award. It is not just one act of community service, but rather a lifetime of community service and commitment to serving others that the award recognizes.

Nominees meet the following criteria for eligibility:

• An Indiana resident;
• Age 65 or older; and
• Has been a volunteer in the community for the past three years.

In presenting Tuesday’s awards, Lt. Gov. Crouch noted there were "many, many applicants."

Those who accompanied Mellon to Indianapolis for the awards ceremony included Evans, Mellon’s children, son Tyson Mellon, daughter and son-in-law Tiffany and Michael Holle, and past WCHS Principal/Superintendent (and current Kankakee Valley Superintendent) Don Street and his wife Meleita.

“Chuck is a visionary. He absolutely knows who to call, and when, to procure large and valuable donations,” Evans also wrote in his nomination. “When a job needs to be done, no matter how big or small, Chuck jumps in and gets it done. No one in the Francesville and Pulaski County community does more with less fanfare than Chuck.”