The Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce announcing the fourth recipient last night of the Chamber's highest honor, the John Sidlo Standard of Excellence for Vision, Leadership and Legacy Award. The chamber chose to honor one of our own... the President and CEO of AVC Communications, Mr. Grant Hafley. Mr. Hafley, whose preference is to stay in the background to mentor and teach others, was given a well deserved night in the spotlight... however as usual, he downplayed his achievements and contributions to the community, deferring instead to others... saying he was astonished to be considered in the same category as his longtime friends and previous Sidlo Award recipients Larry Caldwell, Judge David A. Ellwood and Dr. Michael Sarap.

Despite his modesty, Grant Hafley is well known as a man who has done a great deal for the community he, his wife Pat and daughter Malinda have called home since 1972.

In 1974, he established Audio Visual Creations... later AVC Productions, in the basement of his home where he did various audio productions, produced radio commercials and recorded numerous records, including the special Cambridge Bicentennial album featuring various local musical groups like the City Band, Cambridge Singers and the CHS Jazz band.

He Operated "Disco 76" which became Dance Odyssey, a mobile dance company that traveled all over the area to local schools. Best known for regular dances held at the YMCA and Cambridge City Park Big pavilion where hundreds of kids would go every weekend for safe, fun entertainment.

Mr. Hafley was Chairman of the Salt Fork Arts & Crafts Show for many years early in the shows history. He oversaw it's largest growth and most exhibitors, with one festival weekend drawing over 50,000 attendees. The show was, at that time, one of the largest annual attractions in Ohio.

In 1976 he was named the Daily Jeffersonian Man of the Year along with two very notable area men , the Honorable Robert T. Secrest and Ray Drake.

Grant's Board/Committee Memberships, past and present include: Member of Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce, Cambridge Area Tourist and Recreation Committee, board member of the Cambridge Barn Theater, Cambridge Concert Association and the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra to name a few.

He was an organizing member of Cambridge Alliance for Progress Committee, responsible for bringing the Main Street Program to Cambridge

He was the 1st President of the Degenhart Paperweight and Glass Museum and directed the development and building of the tourist attraction.

He is one of the founding fathers of Cambridge Foundation, now known as the Guernsey County Foundation, developed to aid in the funding of worthy community projects.

Grant was the engineer responsible for the original sound design of the Living Word Passion Play

He built the Centrum building in 1981 to house studios & offices for AVC Productions and Cable TV2. The building also provided a place for the community to hold meetings, events etc... and weekend dances for area kids.

He is responsible for bringing local programming to Cambridge Cable TV2 ... community service shows like "2 About Town with Laura Bates", telethons (for the Living Word and others), local high school sports, local church services and concerts.

A successful entrepreneur, Grant Hafley purchased the 2 local stations (WILE-AM and WILE-FM, now WCMJ-FM) in May of 83' and quickly built his company with the addition of WWKC in 1989; WBNV in 1991 and WILE-FM in 1994. The group also markets WBIK-FM, put on the air in 2002... He owns and operates six more stations in Arizona as well.

Grant provides a Muskingum University Annual Scholarship in the name of the late John McCance, a former AVC Engineer, that goes to an outstanding Radio/TV/Communications student that shows aptitude in the technical aspects of broadcasting.

He also purchased the equipment needed and set up the facilities to make possible the Electronic Current Events Class at Cambridge High School to give students the opportunity to learn video production in school.

Grant is also a huge Dickens Victorian Village Supporter!

The Guernsey County Courthouse Holiday Light Show was the brainchild of Grant Hafley. Desiring to create an experience that would give back to the community while also helping to attract visitors to the downtown area for the Dickens Victorian Village project. He generously provided all the funding to develop and create this incredible light show for the community.

Grant said last night, although he spends half of his year in Arizona, he considers Cambridge his hometown... It's also apparent that Guernsey County has adopted him as one of their own.