For 45 years, there has been one steady figure of great influence providing guidance to the staff of The Messenger.

In a business which sees its share of turnover, Larry Bushman has been central to this newspaper, its staff and ultimately its readers.

Working at the newspaper has hardly been the only thing Bushman has done for his community. His track record of involvement is long and includes everything from serving on the board of the local hospital to being a member of the Fort Dodge Noon Rotary Club.

His service has not gone unnoticed.

On Thursday evening, the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance honored him with the Catalyst Award. It is the organization’s most prestigious award.

Fort Dodge City Councilman Dave Flattery, who announced the award Thursday, credited Bushman with making The Messenger an “essential community partner.” He said Bushman recognized the power of positive reporting and made sure the paper included human interest stories and articles promoting the good things happening in the community.

“He set the standard for support,” Flattery said.

Bushman has been a newspaper man for 65 years, starting in 1958 in Glidden. He has been in Fort Dodge for 45 of those years. He received the Master Editor-Publisher Award from the Iowa Newspaper Association.

On paper, at least, he retired five years ago. His idea of retirement included moving from an office on the first floor of the newspaper’s building to one on the second floor. There, his door is open – literally – to anyone on the staff who needs some advice. He also continues to serve on the paper’s editorial board.

There is much more to Bushman than newspaper work, however. He serves on the board of the Webster County Improvement Corp. He previously served on the boards of Friendship Haven and the Fort Dodge Betterment Foundation. He also served on a subsidiary board of Trinity Regional Medical Center. Those are just a handful of the organizations that he has worked with to benefit the community as a whole.

For 45 years, he has been there for his community. He is deserving of the Catalyst Award.

Well done, Larry.