City of Somerset award honors Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by recognizing community servants
Quest Counseling CEO Nathan Fisher has received the City of Somerset’s first Martin Luther King Jr. Acts of Service Award for his work to shine a light on mental health and healing in the community.
The award, which celebrates Somerset residents who are making a difference, was announced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in honor of Dr. King’s legacy. Observed on the third Monday in January each year, MLK Day is also known as National Acts of Service Day and is the only federal holiday designated to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
Brandy Thomas, office manager at Quest Counseling, nominated Fisher because he “is a fantastic example of utilizing your voice to impact the individual and the community,” following Dr. King’s example.
“People often seek therapy to find their voice, to regain their power,” Thomas wrote in her nomination. “For 18 years, Nate has given countless individuals the tools they need on their quest. Nathan’s ability to relate to anyone he encounters, evoke untapped confidence, awaken change and turn darkness into light is his superpower.”
Fisher not only uses this superpower within his profession but also in his community. In addition to speaking with students about important issues such as bullying and suicide, he counsels the faith community about managing stress and has coached school professionals through the anxieties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a member of the Housing Authority board, the Community Care board and the Somerset Rotary Club, and partners with Hope Springs to build a bridge to mental health awareness in the community.
Healthy Somerset Director Kathy Townsend, who pioneered the creation of the award, quoted Dr. King in praising Fisher: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.”
“Nathan Fisher exemplifies this with his moral fiber,” Townsend said. “He is a man of this community who is for the betterment of this community.”
Somerset Mayor Alan Keck said Fisher has been a leader in the community in many ways.
“[Nate] is someone over the last several years who has become a friend, somebody who has challenged me a little bit when I needed it, who has been willing to serve the community when asked, but who also I have seen invest in both old and young alike,” Keck said. “He and his wife have both been a light for me.”
Fisher lives in Somerset with his wife, Jada Gilmore-Fisher. They have four children — Ty Tevis, Makenzie, Kyndell and Chance.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Acts of Service Award will be given annually. Any Somerset resident can be nominated for his or her acts of service in the community. Nominations will open again on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2023 (Monday, Jan. 16) and close Jan. 31, 2023.
For more information, contact Townsend by e-mail at ktownsend@cityofsomerset.com.
In addition to speaking with students about important issues such as bullying and suicide, Nathan Fisher is a member of the Housing Authority board, the Community Care board and the Somerset Rotary Club, and partners with Hope Springs to build a bridge to mental health awareness in the community.
