By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
A date has yet to be set for the annual Chamber of Commerce awards banquet, but anticipation is already building for possible recipients of the chamber’s major citizenship awards.
Chamber executive director told the newspaper Monday that the board still had not decided whether or not to have a formal banquet.
He added that the chamber might go ahead and present the citizenship awards in some manner.
The recipients will be chosen by the chamber’s board of directors from nominations submitted by the public. For many years the award recipients were chosen by a committee composed of former winners.
Normally at the banquet, the awards are presented by the previous year’s winners, and the identity of the new winner is often kept secret for as long as possible before and during the presenter’s speech.
Other awards such as past accomplishments or lifetime achievement may also be presented.
A nomination form can be found in this issue of the News-Leader. The form may be mailed or taken to the chamber office.
Originally, only a Man of the Year Award was presented, and two years
later a Woman of the Year award was given. The first Man winner was the late Jay Toland, an insurance executive who helped write grants for the city. The first Woman winner was Liz Backus Bell who founded the Howard County Children’s Center. Her award was actually called Citizen of the Decade, but the title gave way to Woman of the Year.
The first Orange & Black Award was presented for 1996 and recipients were Coach Billy Laird and the undefeated state champion Scrapper football team members. Originally, the award was sponsored by the ‘Nashville News,’ but trophy sponsorship was eventually taken over by the chamber of commerce.
Awards are given in recognition for contributions or accomplishments during the previous year or before:
Man of the Year
1973 Jay Toland
1974 Louis ‘Swampy’ Graves
1975 Clayton Franklin
1976 John Reuther
1977 Larry Renard
1978 James Masey
1979 Deward Sharp
1980 Bobby Feemster
1981 Arthur Baker
1982 Roy Reaves
1983 David Pile
1984 Herschell Teague
1985 Mike Reese
1986 Dale Hart
1987 Mike McCann
1988 Dr. John Hearnsberger
1989 Joe H. Ball
1990 Donny & Ronny Woods
1991 Louie Graves
1992 Wendell Hoover
1993 Jess Young
1994 Norman Adamson
1995 Mike Kinkade
1996 Donnie Parrish
1997 Cliff Petty
1998 Roger Cox
1999 Ray Blakely
2000 Billy Hockaday
2001 Rev. Jim Polk
2002 Bo Castleberry
2003 J.B. Davis
2004 Gary Dan Futrell
2005 Dr. Glenn Lance
2006 James Reed
2007 Sen. Jim Hill
2008 Joe Dallas
2009 Bill Blakely
2010 Mark Canaday
2011 Randy White
2012 Sheriff Butch Morris
2013 Bob Carlisle
2014 Freddie Horne
2015 Don Fletcher
2016 John R. Schirmer
2017 Alfred Neeley
2018 Tim Pinkerton
2019 Alan Green
Woman of the Year
1975 Liz Bell
1976 Jane Chesshir
1977 Mercedes Dildy
1978 Jane Graves
1979 Dot Tyndall
1980 Mary Power
1981 Junior Auxiliary
1982 Becky Steel
1983 Edna Benson
1984 Jo N. Howard
1985 Hospital Auxiliary
1986 Lossie Johnson
1987 Evelyn Cobb
1988 Verna Hockaday
1989 Sandy Steel
1990 Nobie Ann Williams
1991 Mabel Sanders
1992 Mary Lawrence
1993 Sandy Boone
1994 Deb Kinkade
1995 Neva Byrd
1996 Lou Jamison
1997 Carol Oliver
1998 Kaye Jones
1999 Dolly Henley
2000 Jimmie Jean White
2001 Freda Davis
2002 Becky Rockenbach
2003 Cay Teague
2004 Voncille Bullock
2005 Carolyn Ellis
2006 Dena Tollett
2007 Beverly Starr
2008 Sandra Jones
2009 Ruth Wilson
2010 Rose Ray
2011 Sheila Kreul
2012 Anna Blase
2013 Vivian Wright
2014 Kristi Vines
2015 Joan McCrary
2016 Gail Harris Hearnsberger
2017 Jodi King
2018 Becky Sides Floyd
2019 Cheryl Power
Orange & Black
Education Award
1996 Coach Billy Laird and the
State Champion Scrappers
1997 John R. Schirmer
1998 Katie Wesche
1999 Edwin R. ‘Bob’ Armil
2000 Anita Stuckey
2001 Tammie Elliott
2002 Dennis Horn
2003 Jr. & Sr. High FCCLA Classes
2004 Cheryl Power
2005 Gaye Graham
2006 Billy Dawson
2007 Johnny Wilson
2008 Becky Floyd
2009 Tammy Alexander
2010 LaDonna Curtis
2011 Paul Tollett
2012 Doug Graham
2013 James ‘Bunch’ Nichols
2014 Reeder McCullough
2015 Joy Freel
2016 Stacia Petty
2017 Julie Rhodes
2018 Brian Bearden
2019 Andrea Pinegar
