The Town of Fountain Hills dedicated a portion of the Avenue of the Fountains median to former Mayor Sharon Morgan in a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 1.

Sharon Morgan Plaza was dedicated at the east end of Avenue of the Fountains at the Saguaro Boulevard intersection. The newly named plaza encompasses the area that includes the three-tiered fountain and the Rotary clock.

Morgan told the significant crowd gathered for the dedication that she “is honored to be honored.”

Morgan served two terms as the first woman mayor for the town from 1998 to 2002. She has also served as the long-time events coordinator for the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce, overseeing more than 50 of the major arts and crafts fairs that draw hundreds of vendors and thousands of people twice each year. Morgan said by her own estimation, approximately 8 million people have been introduced to Fountain Hills by visiting the fairs.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh noted some of Morgan’s accomplishments as mayor included completing acquisition of McDowell Mountain land for the Fountain Hills Preserve; she helped manage rapid development in the community and spearheaded the development of the Community Center and library/museum within the Cutillo Plaza.

Morgan has also served on countless boards and organizations beginning with the founding of the Welcome Wagon Club soon after she arrived in the community from California in 1989.

She has also served on boards for Home Delivered Meals, Republican Club, Sunridge Foundation, L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum and Sister Cities. With Sister Cities she was instrumental in bringing four Sister Cities for Fountain Hills including the first, Kasterlee, Belgium.

The plaque unveiled for the dedication states that “Sharon not only believed in her motto, ‘you get out of life what you put into it,’ she has proven she lives it each and every day.”