Art Chalker, longtime Pinehurst civic leader, has received the 2011 Pinehurst Distinguished Service Award.

Presented annually by the Pinehurst Civic Group, the award recognizes exceptional public service and honors achievements which contribute significantly to the vibrancy of the village of Pinehurst and to its continued health and welfare. The Distinguished Service Award was presented at its annual meeting Feb. 21.

Chalker is a former chairman of the village Planning and Zoning Board and current chairman of the Village Enhancement Committee.

He has also served as a board member of the Pinehurst Civic Group, historian of the English-Speaking Union, a screener for the Sandhills Coalition for Human Care, lay leader of the Community Presbyterian Church, and as a mentor to fourth-grade students at Pinehurst Elementary School.

The Civic Group is a nonpartisan volunteer citizen organization that was instrumental in the formation of Pinehurst as a self-governing municipality and has played a pivotal role in village affairs for more than 30 years.