Chamber looking for next Cornerstone Award recipient
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on December 2, 2007 2:07 AM
They exist in every community -- those people, whether out front or behind the scenes, who are always involved and just seem to make things happen.
Some individuals are easily identifiable. But others are not.
And that, said Patty Graham, director of membership and marketing for the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, is where people can help.
Named for the fundamental building block on which a foundation rests, the Cornerstone Award is one the county's most prestigious re-cognitions, and now through Wednesday, nominations are being accepted.
"It's open to anyone to make a nomination. There's a lot of information on the form to gather up, but they just have to fill it out," Ms. Graham said. "The award recognizes people in our community who have played an important role, and sometimes, they have done that with the greatest modesty."
Typically the chamber receives between five and 10 nominations for the award, but this year, as the group makes a concerted effort to get the entire county involved, officials hope to increase that number.
"We want to make sure everybody in the county knows they can nominate," Ms. Gra-ham said. "It's a community award and we're trying to get the community more involved in the nomination."
The criteria for eligible nominees are simple.
They must be more than 40 years old, living or deceased.
They must have a history of long-time service to Wayne County that has had a significant impact on the betterment of the county, though special consideration may be given to actions performed during the current year.
They can come from any walk of life, whether it be business, education or government -- as long as they can be considered part of the county's foundation.
They do not have to be a chamber member and their service does not have to be connected to any type of chamber program.
Past recipients -- some of whom make up the selection committee -- are, Richard B. Moffatt, Hal Tanner Sr., Clarence "Icky" Peacock, William Dees Jr., Hal Plonk, Bertha Shepherd Wooten, Ollie Toomey, Troy Pate Jr., Jimmie Edmundson, William P. Kemp Jr. and Dr. Edward Wilson.
The 2007 Cornerstone Award will be presented at the chamber's annual banquet on Jan. 10.
Nomination forms can either be picked up from the chamber's office at 308 N. William St., or downloaded from its Web site, www.waynecountychamber.com. For more information, call 734-2234.