Awards were presented and a new board chair was named at Tuesday’s 136th annual Christian County Chamber of Commerce Dinner.
Chamber President Taylor Hayes welcomed attendees and spotlighted the work of the businesses and organizations that make up the chamber. Hayes says it’s their mission to increase the quality of life for community members and by working together they can achieve that goal.
During the dinner, a few awards were given out. The Young Professional of the Year Award was presented to Landan Stallons; The Bob Kelso Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Karen Hayes and the President’s Award was presented to Cody Noffsinger.
The evening’s keynote speaker was Dr. Eugene Poole and he is no stranger to Hopkinsville. Poole is a graduate of Hopkinsville High School and Hopkinsville Community College. He later graduated from the University of Kentucky and currently serves as deputy chief administrative officer for the Architect of the U.S. Capitol and in this role, he has helped design and supervise federal landmark construction and renovation projects.
Poole told the audience that the person they are now is not the person they could become with a little bit of extra hard work and motivation.
Poole outlined steps for people to take to not only achieve their dreams but to also move their community forward. Poole told attendees to not get stuck in their comfort zone; ignore the naysayers; be their authentic selves and show up on time.
By following these pieces of advice, Poole says he became the first Black chief staff architect, designer and project manager for the Capitol Dome restoration project.
To conclude the dinner, Nikki Chambers, the former chair of the Chamber Board of Directors, passed the gavel to Bennett Greene the incoming board chair. Greene says they all may not agree on what the best step forward for the community is, but what matters most is that people show up and think beyond limitations when imaging the future of Christian County.
Greene will serve through 2026.
