Chamber cruises into summer with banquet

A News-Express Staff Report

The Pike County Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony was cruising Friday at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center.

Listening to a mix of Caribbean, calypso and reggae, as well as rock, funk, oldies and jazz from Steel of the Night, attendees said farewell to outgoing board members and hello to the 2008-2009 officers and executive board. Appalachian Wireless’ Danny Vanhoose was welcomed as chairman, Jimmy England of Wells Fargo Insurance will be chairman-elect, while Mike McCoy of Citizens National Bank will serve as vice-chair. Secretary for the board will be Shadd Walters of Community Trust Bank, while Lynette Schindler, CPA, will serve as treasurer and Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s Randy Roberts is the immediate past chairman.

Taking the top honors for the Lon B. & Mary Evelyn Rogers Lifetime Achievement Award was Walter E. May, CEO of Pikeville Medical Center. Tracy Syck was the Chamber Volunteer of the Year, Shurtleff’s Laundry was Business of the Year, Edith Hanners, RN, was Pike County Citizen of the Year.

The award for Outstanding Contributions Toward Community Service by an Individual went to Dr. Harry Altmann, while Equitable Resources won the award for Outstanding Contributions Toward Community Service by an Organization. Dennis Hillen was the Junior Williams Memorial/Pike County Ambassador, and Hillbilly Clan No. 1, Outhouse No. 2 won the Service Organization of the Year award. Kennis Coleman and Gordon Wagner of Velocity Market were named Business Persons of the Year.

The chamber staff, President/CEO Brad Hall, Debbie Clevinger, office manager, and Pam Mullins, accounts manager, also had presentations for the Work Ethic Award Scholarship winners, who won through essays. They were Ethan Anderson of East Ridge High, sponsored by Wal-Mart; Daren Lockhart, of East Ridge, sponsored by Coke; Heather Robinette of Pikeville High School, sponsored by Citizens National Bank and Amanda Stiltner of Belfry High, represented by AAA Real Estate.