SIDNEY — Sidney native Darrin Adams will be one of 20 Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame inductees for 2023.

While Adams currently lives in Franklin County after moving away from Shelby County after graduation, he asked to be listed as a Shelby County representative because “I have always considered myself to be a ‘Sidney ambassador’ despite where my duties have taken me in the world,” Adams said.

“The induction is a very humbling surprise for me. God has blessed me richly in my journey since growing up in Sidney and I have countless mentors and amazing friends along the way that were instrumental in my best efforts to serve our nation and our state,” Adams said. “While I have been afforded the opportunity to live abroad and in the U.S., I have always thought of Sidney as my original hometown and certainly Ohio to be my home state.”

According to Adams’s bio, “Adams is a retired U.S. Army veteran and served in the Gulf War and Bosnia. He served as a federal and state public servant for more than 35 years, including more than 10 years with the U.S. Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Services where he was the state director for Ohio and worked to streamline and promote improving quality of life issues for veterans and their families through education, employment and transition assistant programs. As state director, he managed over $13 million of federal grants awarded to Ohio and non-profit agencies that provide direct support to veterans.

Adams also served as veterans program administrator for the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services Veterans Program, where he focused his efforts on meeting with employers to share the invaluable skills veterans have to offer.

He has served as guest speaker at leadership symposiums, using this platform to educate large organizations on the skills of transitioning military members integrating into the workforce, and promoted how hiring veterans only enhance organizations.

With a passion for preserving military and veteran history, Adams is a founding sponsor and advocate for both the U.S. Army National Museum and the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum. He volunteers his time supporting various shelters and community programs and he diligently advocates for veterans at every opportunity afforded.”

Since the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 1992, 954 veterans have been inducted, including four other honorees from Shelby County, making Adams the fifth. This year’s class ranges from ages 56 to 86; spans 14 Ohio counties — including Greene, Montgomery, and Warren counties in the Dayton area — and represents four major branches of the armed forces — the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS), the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Executive Committee and the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Foundation will honor the 2023 inductees during its annual induction ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. at The Ohio State University Fawcett Center, located at 2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus. This year’s ceremony will be live-streamed by the Ohio Channel. For more information, visit www.ohiovets.gov.