By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – Dee Gibson, chief executive officer of White’s Residential and Family Services, is the newest Sagamore of the Wabash.
Gibson received the honor on Monday, Jan. 9. He was honored on Thursday, Jan. 19, during a reception at White’s.
He received a call the week before, asking if he would be in the office on Jan. 9. A representative from Gov. Mike Pence’s office had something to show him, he was told.
Gibson agreed to the meeting.
“He came up Monday morning, came into my office and said, ‘On behalf of the governor of Indiana, Gov. Pence, I’d like to present you with a Sagamore of the Wabash,’” Gibson told The Paper of Wabash County. “It was kind of a private little ceremony right there in my office with me and my wife, Kathy.
“It was a little, intimate, small thing.”
Gibson said he was shocked at receiving the award.
“I had no sense at all that this was coming,” he said. “I was totally caught off guard.”
He said that while he received the award, it wouldn’t have been possible without his family and the staff at White’s.
“They’ve put their faith and trust in me to lead for the last 20 years,” Gibson said. “You don’t do the White’s ministry without the staff. We have a lot of people who have given their life here, much like I have.
“This is really a shared honor. I feel like I’ve received far more than I’ve given here. The students enrich my life. It’s amazing what you learn about yourself when you’re dealing with kids and families in crisis.”
The staff and board, he said, share in his honor.