VIDALIA — In front of a crowded room surrounded by 250 Miss-Lou residents, Amanda Taylor graciously accepted her award as 2012 Concordian of the Year with just a few — but appropriate — words.

“I love my job, and I love the people of Concordia Parish,” Taylor said Thursday night at the annual Chamber of Commerce awards dinner and celebration.

Taylor was awarded the honor for her more than 30 years of work at Concordia Parish Library.

The requirements for being awarded Concordian of the Year included being a vital part of Concordia Parish and making the parish a better place to live.

Ouida Pecanty, president of the chamber board of directors, said that qualification was an understatement to the amount of work Taylor has put in through her work at the library.

“I just don’t know what I can say about this lady that everyone else hasn’t said tenfold,” Pecanty said. “For more than 30 years, Amanda Taylor has played a vital part in serving Concordia Parish.”

A handful of other Concordia Parish residents and one business were also honored at the event.

Frances Lee, curriculum specialist at Ferriday Lower Elementary School, was named the 2012 educator of the year.

The Clayton native has spent more than 40 years in the Concordia Parish School district serving in a variety of roles at several schools.

“I enjoy my job as well,” Lee said while accepting her award. “And I’m still working at it.”

John Taylor, who recently retired as senior vice president of Concordia Bank, was named the 2012 businessperson of the year.

Supermarket Operations Inc., better known as The Markets, was named the 2012 business of the year.

Baily Burley was named 2012 Chamber volunteer of the year.

The event also featured guest speakers Rhett Powell, Stanley Nelson and Marilyn Campbell.

Powell showed a variety of photographs of Vidalia, Ferriday and other parts of the parish, which he took during his time working at the Concordia Sentinel.

Nelson, who is the editor of the Concordia Sentinel, spoke about the story of two plantations and the effect the Civil War had on the Miss-Lou.

Campbell presented a reading of, “Winter Voices from a Miss-Lou Past.”