BELFAST — Waldo County General Hospital announces that Belfast Public Health Nurse Susan Dupler was named Citizen of the Year at the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Chamber Awards Gala, Friday, Nov. 4, at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

“I was so excited to hear that Sue was going to be the citizen of the year because, in my mind, when I saw the list, there was only one option, and that was Sue Dupler,” said Michelle Curtis, vice president at First National Bank and a member of the chamber’s board of directors, in a news release.

More than 1,300 community members cast votes for this year’s Citizen of the Year Award, which recognizes a person who has made an outstanding impact in Waldo County, either through a single event or on a continuous basis.

“I’m incredibly excited that Sue has been chosen to be the recipient of this incredibly beautiful award,” said Mark Fourré, president of WCGH. “Sue’s work is sometimes under recognized because of the way she does her work. She is in the community day in and day out, caring for the underserved.”

In her role as public health nurse, Dupler serves the community in myriad ways, including dressing wounds of homeless community members, visiting homebound individuals to administer COVID vaccines, organizing safety events for children and planning educational luncheons for seniors, as well as coordinating blood drives and vaccine clinics for the community. She has helped many people find housing and was a founder of Community Food for Children, which provides free meals for children in Belfast throughout the summer months.“

“There is no one else in this community who deserves this award more than Sue,” said Cherie Merrill, executive director of the Belfast Soup Kitchen, where Dupler serves on the board of directors. “She has been doing this for a long time. Her heart is in it, her soul is in it, and there’s no one who knows our community like she does.”

Dupler expressed gratitude for the recognition she received Friday.

“I am overwhelmed, but I am greatly honored. Never in my whole nursing career did I think something like this would happen,” Dupler said. “It came from the community, which means even more to me.”

A video of the award presentation and Sue’s remarks is available here: Sue Dupler wins Belfast Area Chamber “Citizen of the Year” Award - YouTube

The chamber’s tribute video is available here: 2022 Citizen of the Year - Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce - YouTube

Waldo County General Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit wcgh.org.