Today, The Natchez Democrat named life-long resident Albert Metcalfe as the newspaper’s 2015 Citizen of the Year.

The title is one that Metcalfe has earned through decades of service to the community in which he loves so deeply.

For the many people who know Metcalfe, most describe him as humble, dedicated and someone with an insatiable desire to bring people together.

Metcalfe has done many charitable and civic-minded endeavors through his life, but perhaps he’s most noted for his incredible dedication to the Rotary Club.

Through Metcalfe’s nearly six decades of service to the club, he has single-handedly helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for the international club’s foundation efforts.

Those aspirations have included a massive effort to eradicate polio from the globe, bring clean drinking water and food to impoverished corners of the world and countless other causes. Most important, however, is that Metcalfe has done all of this work in an extremely humble, unassuming, but persistent manner.

As one friend suggested, he attended Rotary like he attended church with a dedication and love that is difficult to imagine.

His dedication and service, both to Natchez, its people and even complete strangers from around the world epitomize what it means to be a good citizen, and we’re proud he dedicated his life to the community he loves so much.