It was a night of celebration Monday at McMinnville Civic Center as the Chamber of Commerce recognized eight upstanding citizens for their leadership roles in the community.
Jan Johnson, Buzz Spivey, David Britton and Thomas Smith were honored with annual awards at the Membership Banquet, while Todd Herzog was bestowed a special Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, Wally and Pat Bigbee and Swanson Bennett were called to the podium as Lifetime Membership Honorees.
“Never grow weary of wanting to do good things,” said Wally Bigbee upon accepting the honor.
It was also a night for Cindy Rogers to step down as chair of the Chamber board of directors and turn the reins over to new chair Sheri Denning. In giving a brief outline of what to expect from the Chamber in 2015, Denning pointed to continued change.
“It’s no secret the Chamber lost focus on our members in recent years,” said Denning. “The board of directors took appropriate action in 2014 and hit the reset button. The task before us now is to rebuild credibility and trust.”
Mandy Eller was hired as Chamber president at the end of 2014 and is closing in on her second month on the job. Denning said Eller and the board of directors are going to focus on two main building blocks – Chamber members and Chamber volunteers.
“We want the Chamber to reflect the thriving, active community we live in,” said Denning.
While it’s important to outline the Chamber’s mission, the banquet was about recognizing the people who have gone above and beyond. Herzog is one of those people.
The Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award is not given annually. It is only conferred on an individual when Chamber officials see fit. This year, Herzog met all the criteria.
In presenting the award, Eller lauded Herzog for his work with the Business Roundtable Action Committee arm of the Chamber.
“I think I’d have to double my staff if he wasn’t working in that area,” said Eller. “He is a doer. He gets the job done. He’s infectious with his work.”
Denning presented the Volunteer of the Year Award to Secure Data owner Jan Johnson, who has been a Warren County resident since 1992. Denning noted how Johnson is a volunteer firefighter, a coach for athletes of all ages, an accomplished singer, and a consistent Chamber representative for ribbon-cutting ceremonies and Business After Hours events.
“He’s not a native of Warren County, but that hasn’t stopped him from falling in love with our community,” said Denning.
Rodney Boyd presented the Free Enterprise Award to Cumberland Lumber president Buzz Spivey. Boyd talked about how Spivey joined the company in an entry level position and worked his way to the top. Cumberland Lumber has a 70-year history in Warren County an employs over 100.
But Spivey’s life is much more than work. He’s been a member of the Noon Rotary Club since 1990 and is currently the treasurer. He’s coached his children in a number of sports and also worked with them as they made their way through Boy Scouts as a troop master.
Spivey has made his share of funnel cakes at the 4-H booth at the fair, and even served as a raft guide on the Ocoee River. He was named Jaycee of the Year in 1990 and is currently active in Bible study.
Spivey told the Standard he’s always been very focused on being active in the lives of his children.
Randy Garrison presented David Britton with the Distinguished Citizen Award. “The criteria for this award is someone who has extraordinary commitment to the community through service and development,” said Garrison.
Britton has never shied away from volunteer work, Garrison said. This includes working with the Highland Rim Cycling Classic, Habitat for Humanity, Project Graduation, and football, soccer and basketball booster clubs at WCHS. Britton is a deacon at Westwood Church of Christ, a charter member of Noon Exchange, and a member of Breakfast Rotary.
NAPA of McMinnville owner Thomas Smith was honored by Pam Wilson with the Edwin Partin Retailer of the Year Award. Smith was not in attendance.