MALVERN — Playing to a sellout crowd of more than 400 people, the Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce presented its annual awards banquet Jan. 22 at the Malvern Community Center.
Malvern Mayor Brenda Wilson welcomed the audience, and Circuit Judge Chris Williams served as master of ceremonies.
Nikki Cranford Launius, executive director of the chamber, gave the opening remarks, referencing the theme for the evening, Winds of Change.
“We have change in our community,” she said. “We have newly elected officials, some new City Council and Quorum Court members and an active mayor in office.
“The chamber predicts positive change by the leaders in our community,” she said.
“I believe there are two primary choices in life: to accept the conditions as they exist or accept the responsibility of changing them,” she said. “I encourage each of you to support our leadership during this time of change.”
Launius said the area has seen positives changes.
“The past year, we’ve seen a new $6 million manufacturing plant built, Prime-Line, moved from Jones Mill Industrial Park, next to Flakeboard,” she said. “We’ve seen two church expansions — First Baptist Church Vine and Lifepoint Church.
“Two new nursing homes are being built — Encore (formerly Malvern Nursing Home) and Happy Valley (formerly Long Meadow Nursing Home),” she said. “All Steel Construction has moved into the old Precision [Industries] building, and Anytime Fitness has refurbished an empty building, … and there’s an announcement coming soon on a plant moving into the Kohler building.
“[College of the Ozarks] has expanded its offerings and has North America’s largest 3-D print farm on the planet.”
Launius said Main Street “continues to fill in.”
“Hats off to Guapos [Clothing] — Ginger Morris bought the old Smith house; Panache’s Debbie Barton took the plunge and bought the old KBOK building; and Famous Antiques and Collectibles, [owned by Lowell and] Pat Mobley, [moved in]. All three business owners bought their buildings,” she said.
“Revitalization of East Page [Avenue] is doing well,” Launius said, citing the Family Market’s move into the old USA Drug building, A Pocket Full of Posies’ move into a new, larger building and Brownfield’s Automotive’s presence in the neighborhood.
“Shop Hot Spring County first. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our community.”
Todd Yakoubian, meteorologist for KATV-Channel 7, the ABC affiliate in the Little Rock market, was the guest speaker. He joined the KATV weather team in 2005.
A native of Little Rock, Yakoubian is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a degree in broadcast journalism, and Mississippi State University, where he studied meteorology and was certified as a broadcast meteorologist by the department of geoscience and meteorology.
“I’ve been a weather geek all my life,” he said, smiling.
Yakoubian talked about some of the tornadoes that have hit in or around Malvern, citing an EF3 tornado that hit the area in 1957; an EF4 tornado that hit southwest of Malvern in March 1997; and an EF2 tornado that hit Malvern on Sept. 26, 1996, injuring 15.
He said local meteorologists depend on Doppler radar and, more recently, the NEXRAD radar system, at the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, in tracking and reporting on tornadoes across the state. He further said social media has “revolutionized” how the public receives weather information and warnings.
Twelve members or businesses were recognized at the chamber awards banquet for their contributions during 2014:
• Arkansas State Police Sgt. Shannon Shepherd was named Law Officer of the Year.
Shepherd has served the public for more than 25 years. He is a supervisor for Troop K, which includes Grant, Hot Spring and Clark counties. He covers 52 miles of interstate.
• Rockport Fire Chief Damon Dyer was named Firefighter of the Year.
Dyer has many certifications, including fire-department instructor with the Arkansas Fire Academy, arson investigator and firefighter I, land-based search, and rescue and diver. He has also served eight years as president of the Arkansas State Firefighters Association.
• Kelly Green was named the Health Care Worker/Emergency Responder of the Year.
Green is a nurse at Baptist Health-Hot Spring County. She holds crisis-instructor certification and works with mental-health patients.
• Mary Evelyn Lawrence received the Community Service Award.
Lawrence volunteers with the Ladies Auxiliary at Baptist Health-Hot Spring County, directs the Hot Spring County Historical Society and delivers Meals on Wheels.
• Zachary Jones was named Young Person of the Year.
Jones is the leader of Magnet Cove High School’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a member of FFA, Beta Club and the Science Club. He plays football and basketball and runs track. He has received the Woodmen of the World Award, has been nominated for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award and has volunteered 200-plus hours in the local community garden.
• Vonda West Cranford received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Cranford taught English for almost 40 years, serving as a department head at Malvern High School. She was also a member of the Malvern School District Board of Directors and served it in every capacity, from member to president. She served on the Arkansas School Board Association, the Hot Spring County Library Board, the Malvern Planning Commission, the Area Agency on Aging, the Silver-Haired Legislature and the Legacy Project, a series of oral histories documenting integration in Malvern.
• Dana Mann was named Educator of the Year.
Mann has taught kindergarten and third grade in the Bismarck School District for several years. She is the lead facilitator of the K-4 language-arts writing committee.
• Rebrenda Schulz was named Employee of the Year.
Schulz has worked as an accounting technician at College of the Ouachitas for nine years.
• Kim Lester was named Manager of the Year.
Lester is director of Atkinson’s Funeral Home.
• Acme Brick was named Business of the Year.
Acme Brick makes 257 million bricks per year and has been involved with Brickfest for 34 years.
• Danny Riggan was named Chamber Member of the Year.
Riggan is the owner of McClure Real Estate and the incoming chairman of the Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce. He contributed to the Hot Spring County Economic Development Corp., the chamber and school sports programs. He helps with the Downtown Merchants, Operation Clean Sweep, Brickfest, chamber bingo and the Lions Club.
• Terri Bryant received the Kristi Parker Norris Leadership Award.
Bryant has 39 years of service in education with the Malvern School District, which includes 27 years as a principal and three years as a district administrator. She is the director of school improvement and a dropout-prevention specialist. She also serves as coordinator of school health and wellness for each school campus.