While Johnathan Abbott isn’t originally from Batesville, it has definitely been his home for the past 28 years.
Abbott, 48, came to work for the city of Batesville two days after he graduated from Wilburn High School, which is now part of the Concord School District. And with the exception of a few months, he has lived in the area ever since. Abbott, who wears many hats for the city of Batesville, was recently honored as the Batesville Kiwanis Club’s Citizen of the Year.
Abbott is the landscape supervisor for the city. He is also a reserve officer for the Batesville Police Department, as well as a paid volunteer firefighter for the Batesville Fire Department. “I was absolutely surprised by the honor,” Abbott said. “What a great honor it was. I was definitely not expecting that.”