Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas was inducted into the Downtown Renaissance Hall of Fame at the Historic Downtown Strand Partnership's Eleventh Annual Awards Banquet, Tuesday Night at the Davidson Ballroom of the Tremont Hotel.

William A Ross, Jr, of GPM, Inc, Fred Wichlep, former Executive Director of the Partnership and The Art Walk/Galveston Art Center were also inducted into the Downtown Renaissance Hall of Fame.

Downtown merchant, Keith Bassett, received the coveted George P Mitchell Entrepreneur Award. This award was last presented in 2002.

The Edwin J Weiss Spirit Award was presented to Pam Bowman in honor of her late husband, Dennis "Denny" Bowman, for his tireless work with HDSP in making the Harbor Lighted Boat Parade an annual success.

Other awards were presented to Elizabeth"Liz" Neff and Angela Brown as Volunteer of the Year, Maggies for the Creative Storefront Award, David & Roger Massicott and Harborside Condominiums for the Downtown Beautification Award, Galveston.Com and the ETC-East End Theatre Company for the Downtown Promotion Award, and Dale & Diane Olson for their second Downtown Development Award.

Kathy Modzelewski was elected President of the Partnership and Angela Brown, Vice President.

Elected to the Board of Directors were Barbara Gatlin, Dale Olson, John L Smith and Anne Zaring.

Incumbents reelected for new three-year terms include: Allen Naugle, John Saracco, David Watson, Kathy Modzelewski, Angela Brown, Jan Coggeshall, Joyce Fant, Wendy O'Donohoe, and Lyda Ann Thomas.