Burrus, Lonergan Inducted into Morgan County Agri-Industry Hall of Fame in Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce inducted two longtime local agricultural leaders — Todd Burrus and Mike Lonergan — into the Morgan County Agri‑Industry Hall of Fame at its annual Agri‑Industry banquet. The induction took place at Hamilton’s in Jacksonville on March 6, 2026 during the chamber’s banquet program.

The chamber’s announcement naming Burrus and Lonergan did not include biographical details, the specific reasons for their selection, whether either induction was posthumous, or the names of presenters and other attendees. The chamber’s notice as provided to the public was truncated and contained no quotes from the honorees or chamber officials.

A separate Morgan County Hall of Fame entry on the Mocofair site uses the heading “Show What You Grow and Share What You Know” and identifies the MORGAN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL HALL OF FAME as established by the Morgan County Agricultural Society to recognize “those individuals who have demonstrated a life-long exemplary service to their community and the industry of agriculture.” That page lists nomination instructions to Garth Ruff, Attn: Morgan County Hall of Fame Committee, 5860 Brandeberry Rd, Malta, OH 43758, and an email address at ruff.72@osu.edu, with a nomination deadline of July 1st.

It is not clear from available materials whether the chamber’s “Morgan County Agri‑Industry Hall of Fame” is the same program as the Morgan County Agricultural Hall of Fame administered by the Morgan County Agricultural Society. The Mocofair site lists recent inductees for context — 2023 names including Eddie Lindimore, William (Bill) Massey, Davis McInturf (posthumously), and Carl and Marlene Williams, and 2024 names including Don and Linda Drake, David Heigley (posthumously), Donald Pletcher, and Jim Rex — but it does not tie those lists directly to the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce banquet notice.

For regional context, other states run similar honors: the Colorado FFA Foundation’s Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame has honored 85 people since 1989 and holds an induction banquet in Denver, and the Alabama Agriculture Hall of Honor recently inducted three leaders on Feb. 3. Alabama honoree coverage included a statement from Auburn Agriculture Alumni Club President Brian Hardin: “Our honorees made a real, tangible impact on agriculture in Alabama,” said Hardin. These programs are separate from Morgan County’s local recognition.

With the banquet at Hamilton’s concluded, the public record still lacks Burrus and Lonergan’s career bios, photographs of the ceremony, and the Hall of Fame citation wording. If the Morgan County Agricultural Society’s program is the awarding body, nomination information remains available to prospective nominators by mail to Garth Ruff at 5860 Brandeberry Rd, Malta, OH 43758 or by email to ruff.72@osu.edu, with nominations accepted by the July 1st deadline.