Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008
Longview Partnership Honors Members
From Staff Reports
LONGVIEW - More than 600 people gathered to hear the names of honorees at the Longview Partnership's annual awards banquet on Thursday.
The banquet, at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center, celebrated the Partnership's "Best of 2007." Among the honored guests were State Rep. Tommy Merritt, Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt and Longview Mayor Jay Dean. The featured speaker for the evening was Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Dave Lieber, who talked about how he, a native New Yorker, became a true Texan.
The Partnership's 2007 Chairman of the Board, Suzanne Cook, announced the organization's award winners.
The Partnership honored STEMCO LP as its Manufacturer of the Year for its work to reduce chemical waste and to recruit top-tier employees and their families to the Longview area. STEMCO was also noted for improving its operational and product performance and increasing its market share by 13 percent.
The Partnership gave the Large Business of the Year award to Eastman Chemical Company. Eastman employs more than 1,500 individuals, making it one of the largest employers in East Texas, and it received state and national recognition last year for its work on energy efficiency in industrial settings.
"In order to recruit the best and brightest, this company has over the years showcased our community nationally as an attractive destination, long before there was even a Brand Longview campaign," Ms. Cook said.
The Ambassador of the Year award went to Debbie Crabtree, of Capital One. Cook described ambassadors as the faces of the Partnership, who are seen at ribbon cuttings and grand openings, and who volunteer at special events.
To become Ambassador of the Year, members must accumulate points from event attendance, volunteer time and provide prospective member leads.
"This year's winner finished strong, claiming the coveted honor," Ms. Cook said.
Mike Baker, of FastSigns, won the Committee Chairman of the Year award.
"Within our organization, there is probably no greater commitment made than that made by our committee chairmen," Ms. Cook said. "Tonight, we would like to honor a visionary and the missionary who has exhibited leadership unlike any other."
She praised Baker for re-invigorating Longview's Business EXPO, which a few years ago was on the brink of being discontinued. Baker has volunteered as an organizer for the event for the past two years and was able to strengthen the event, now in its 12th year, while battling cancer.
"Passionate, dedicated and devoted to this community, his unwavering commitment to Longview is so worthy of public recognition," Ms. Cook said.
The final honor of the night, the Chairman's Award, went to Lester Lucy, of Bancorp South, who Ms. Cook described as an "individual who reflects the true personification of what it means to be a recipient of the award." The Chairman's Award is given to the person who distinguishes him or herself by contributing time and talents to the community.
Lucy is a longtime resident of Longview and a Longview High School graduate. He works with Asbury House Child Enrichment Center, the Deep East Texas A&M Club, Greater Longview United Way, and Junior Achievement of East Texas, among many others.
Lucy helped lead Longview's branding process, worked on the completion of the city's Main Street Program and served on the 2007 Bond Election Committee.
"Like so many of our past winners, (Lucy) quickly realized that it takes commitment to community involvement in order to grow personally and professionally," Ms. Cook said.
The Partnership also named its 2008 Chairman of the Board at the banquet on Thursday. The incoming chairman is Jimmy Howell.