Holzer was raised in Wilmington and graduated from Lake Placid High School in 2003. He met his wife Sarah, a native of AuSable Forks, and they have raised their three sons — Nathan, Shawn and Keegan — in Wilmington. They are celebrating 20 years of marriage this year.

Holzer started volunteering with the Wilmington Fire Department in 2006 and has remained dedicated since then. He worked his way up the ranks and took on the role of Fire Chief in 2024.

Running a family business comes naturally to Holzer. He started out working as an electrician for his father at Cliff’s Electric. He soon branched out into his own business ventures, including C Holzer General Contracting and numerous short and long-term rental properties. In May 2019, Cliff and Sarah purchased the Little Supermarket on state Route 86 in Wilmington.

Sarah said Holzer is a very busy man, but he has always made time for family. Some of her favorite memories are from the family vacations they’ve taken together. And it helps that their sons are grown up and helping out with the various family businesses.

Wilmington Fire Commissioner Charlie Terry, who has himself volunteered with the department for 45 years, said Holzer “is such a good guy” who goes above and beyond in his commitment to Wilmington. The fire department itself — with weekly meetings and 4 a.m. fire calls — is a big commitment.

As chief, Holzer is responsible for organizing training, communicating with the commissioner and making sure everything is up to standards.

On top of that, he still manages thoughtful gestures like having breakfast sandwiches ready for his department after those 4 a.m. calls.

“He is such a good guy who cares about his community,” he said. “The average person, even our average firefighter, has no idea how much work he does beyond what they see.”

Terry said that in a small town, the role of Fire Chief goes far beyond overseeing the scene of a fire. He said people are calling Holzer all the time and asking for help, sometimes with completely unrelated problems. He’s just the kind of person people gravitate to for help.

“He’s a selfless man,” Terry said. “He gives and gives and gives.”

Sarah agrees, saying Holzer is always ready to help.

“If somebody needs something, he drops what he’s doing,” she said. “He really is out to help people.”

Recipients of the Citizen of the Year award are nominated by Wilmington residents. Submissions are reviewed and voted upon by the Whiteface Visitor Bureau board members. Colin Lohr, operations manager and events coordinator for the town of Wilmington, said the town dinner, which will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Hungry Trout, is currently sold out with a waitlist.