Annual Business Awards Presented at 64th Annual Chamber Banquet
Friday June 04, 2010
Oak Ridge National Lab Named Business of the Year
Kingston -- The Roane County Chamber of Commerce Friday presented its prestigious annual business awards before a packed crowd of community and business leaders attending the 64th Annual Chamber Banquet sponsored by PermaFix Environmental Services and held at Whitestone Country Inn:
- Winning this year's Business of the Year award was the Oak Ridge National Lab with Lab Director Thom Mason from UT-Battelle - the partnership that runs the lab -- accepting;
- The inaugural Paul E. Goldberg Young Professional Award was presented to Harriman Mayor Chris Mason.
- The prestigious Distinguished Service Award was presented to Edgar "Buddy" Bowers who was honored for his outstanding performance and years of contribution to Roane County;
- Kathy Parks, of The Bridge at Rockwood, was recognized for her professional achievements and community service with the International Athena Award.
Of this year's Business of the Year award, Leslie Henderson, Chamber President and The Roane Alliance CEO, said, "This year's winner represents a wholly different -- but extremely important -- facet of the business community in Roane County." In announcing the Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) as the winner of the 2010 Award, she said, "It would be hard to imagine another business in Roane County that could have a more significant effect on our County as a whole."
"As an industrial recruiter, I know the value of the lab. It puts us on the map, bringing us recognition all over the country and all over the world. As a Chamber president, I also know how much their support - both financially as well as through their staff -- means to both the Chamber and the community. "
In announcing the Chamber's next award - its newest -- the Paul E. Goldberg Young Professional award, Henderson explained that this under-40 award was created to honor "outstanding contributions from the up-and-coming young professionals in our county."
The award was named in honor of the late Dr. Paul Goldberg -- who worked for Roane State Community College for 35 years and also directed the Roane County Leadership program since its inception -- "because no one else understood the importance of developing future leaders like Paul did," Henderson said.
In naming Mayor Chris Mason the winner of the award, Henderson called the Harriman native, "a creative thinker, an energetic public servant, a caring family man and a savvy businessman" who serves his county in many ways. "He owns a successful business; he serves on a number of boards; he works a full-time job helping juveniles stay straight -- and... he's the Mayor of Harriman."
Dr. Gary Goff, Roane State Community College President, then announced that this year's Distinguished Service Award winner would go to Edgar "Buddy" Bowers, described as "a sixth-generation Roane Countian, son and grandson of educators," history buff, and a retired attorney who worked for nearly 30 years as corporate counsel to the Oak Ridge National Lab.
The lengthy list of Bowers' community involvements included not only his service as a new Roane County Chamber Board member and Co-Chair of the Chamber's Legislative and Public Affairs Committee, but also included numerous other board and/or executive-level positions with such organizations as Roane County United Way; Nine Counties; One Vision; Kingston Rotary; Harriman Utility Board, just to name a few. Bowers "has dedicated his life to enhancing the lives of others through his commitment to education and economic development in Roane County and beyond."
And last award presented -- this year's The Athena Award -- was presented to Kathy Parks by Dr. Linda Hunter of Kingston Chiropractic Center, who has co-sponsored the award, along with the Roane Chamber, for many years. The Athena honors individuals for their professional achievements and community service, and for their assistance to women in reaching their full potential.
Parks, who directs marketing and admissions for The Bridge at Rockwood, serves on the Chamber board and is co-chair of the Leadership Committee. She has been active for years in the Roane County Leadership program, particularly the Youth Leadership program and has also been heavily involved in Roane County's Women's Executive Association, which promotes, supports and assists women in business.
The awards are an integral part of the annual Roane Chamber banquet which has been held at Whitestone Country Inn for years and is the spring/summer social event of the year for the Roane business community. This year's event was attended by approximately 150 business and community leaders, was headlined by Edye Ellis as the keynote speaker and featured a record number of donations from local businesses in the silent auction.
Ellis worked for WBIR-TV from the early eighties through the mid-nineties, and co-anchored their prime time news with Bill Williams. She is also known for her work co-chairing the strategic planning and visioning project, Nine Counties. One Vision, which included Roane County. Ellis' appearance was made possible by EnergySolutions.
The Chamber is a partner in The Roane Alliance - Roane County's economic development organization. The partners who operate under the Alliance umbrella along with the Chamber include the Industrial Development Board and the Visitor's Bureau.
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