Dudrow honored with Distinguished Citizen Award

Mayor Jesse Whipple honored Steve Dudrow with the Distinguished Citizen Award at the city council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10. Dudrow was given a trophy, and his picture will hang on the Distinguished Citizens wall in Mesquite’s city hall.

Dudrow and his spouse retired and moved to Mesquite in 2016 from Las Vegas, where he had spent the previous five years. Before that he lived in a variety of states while working for AT&T as a software tech. In the nine years he has lived in Mesquite, Dudrow has immersed himself in the community, sharing his skills and knowledge with his new hometown.

Dudrow is a hike leader for Friends of Gold Butte and worked with the Preservation of State lands.

In 2022, he joined the Virgin Valley Artist Association and began showing his photography pieces. Over the years, he has been chairperson of Mesquite Works, chair of the Mesquite Public Arts Commission and a Mesquite Opportunities Regional Fund board member. He is on the advisory committee for the Mesquite community fund, a chairperson for the Art Center’s Brown Bag Lunch Lectures and takes care of the Women’s History & Culture Center Facebook page. All of these are volunteer positions, with his time freely given.

Dudrow is also co-founder with Rachelle Knight of “The Art Box” podcasts, with over 400 episodes heard in 50 states and 86 countries.

Dudrow admitted when he was told he was getting the Distinguished Citizen Award, he got misty-eyed. “I am honored and can’t believe that in nine years I was able to achieve something that would earn me this award. My picture is going to be on the wall along with people like Ann Rice, George Galt and Jean Watkins. Wow!”

Dudrow stated the thing he likes best about Mesquite is the interesting and friendly people who live here. He said the most challenging of all his endeavors is the Mesquite Works/ STEAM Center. “We have a fair amount of volunteers in our town, but we really need more at the STEAM center; especially, we need retired teachers that would like to share their knowledge and skills at the center. The most challenging is keeping the STEAM Center free to use. It costs approximately $300,000 to keep the center lights on and programs running as is. We need donors and fundraisers and volunteers.

The people moving to Mesquite should not be afraid to step up and join in community activities. This is now their community too.”