Decatur now has a flag to represent it, and Don Gephart has $1,000 for creating the design chosen by voters.
Jenny Bowers-Shultz, a member of the city council who proposed having a flag to represent the city, unveiled the winning design on Saturday at Downtown Decatur Day.
The contest to choose a winner was free and open to both county and non-county residents. Design submissions came from “all over the country,” according to Bowers-Shultz.
Adopting a city flag aims to foster civic pride by uniting the community around an official symbol representing Decatur’s history and promising future, she stated on Saturday.
The North American Vexillological Association’s principles of good flag design served as the basis for the entry criteria, which included:
Simplicity; meaningful symbolism; 2-3 basic colors; no lettering or seals; uniqueness; clarity, and memorability.
More than 50 entries were submitted, and a committee narrowed the field to three before releasing them for public voting. The committee’s preferred design was the “overwhelming popular public choice,” according to Bowers-Shultz.
Don Gephart, a Bellmont High School graduate and Adams County resident, was unable to attend Saturday’s unveiling.
The selection committee included Mary Montgomery Byer, Sandy Collier, Scott Murray, Max Miller, and Jamie Gephart.
The city council must give final approval and is expected to do so at its next meeting on July 1.
