Sun, Nov 22 2009
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Published July 14, 2009 09:35 am - July 14, 2009 Serving the community, one project at a time From serving as a firefighter to presiding over BalloonFest, Hamid Vahdatipour gives back by volunteering. By RENEE FITE Press Special Writer
Home is where we plant our roots and fly our balloons. When Hamid Vahdatipour came to Tahlequah to attend college in 1976, his intentions were to graduate and go on back home to Iraq. But times being what they were in Iraq, he found Tahlequah an appealing place and it became his home. Which means to him a place to give back because it has given so much to him. “Tahlequah and Cherokee County have been good to me,” he said. “Once you start volunteering, it’s nice. It feels good to give back.” According to Vahdatipour, volunteering is being part of the community. He is a founding member of Balloonfest, Aug. 14-15, and after a sabbatical, returns this year to volunteer as president. He’s gone up in a balloon almost every year and enjoys it, “it’s so peaceful just hanging there, floating.” He’s also served on the Chamber of Commerce board two terms as president. “The Chamber works hard to make it easy for businesses to do business in Tahlequah and to bring business to Tahlequah,” he said. “Tahlequah depends on tourism so much. The Tourism Council is working on that. Kate [Kelly] and David [Moore] are a good team together.” Since 1989, he’s been employed with Lake Region and has served as its CEO since 1992. He and wife, Pam, have two children, and are blessed with their first grandchild, 2-month-old Abby Lynn Vahdatipour, daughter of Charles and Nikki. Their daughter Stefanie, a pharmacy student at the University of Oklahoma married Jonathan Stogsdill in May. Pam taught music and fifth grade at Lost City, and has been accompanist for the Tahlequah High School and Middle School choirs for five or six years. Park Hill Baptist is their church home. It doesn’t seem that long ago that he coached boys and girls soccer, when their kids were young. He also served on the Indian nations Soccer Board. When they lived at Welling, he was a volunteer fire fighter with the Welling Fire Department and served on the Rural Water District Board. 
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