Partnership Awards
Page Title
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce regularly recognizes community leaders for their contributions to the betterment of the Chamber, Bowling Green and South Central Kentucky. Click the bullets below to learn more about these awards and their winners.
- ATHENA Award
- ATHENA Young Professional Award
- Bart Hagerman Leadership Award
- John B. Holland Business of the Year Award
- Small Business Person of the Year Award
- Herb Smith Lifetime Achievement Award
ATHENA Award
Chambers of commerce, women's organizations and universities present ATHENA Awards to those who exemplify the ATHENA Leadership Model each year. The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce presents the award, sponsored by Martin Automotive Group, to a Bowling Green professional.
| Romanza Johnson (1986) | Betty Lovenstein (1987) |
| Peggy Loafman (1988) | Ann Elliott (1989) |
| Doris C. Thomas (1990) | Vickie Elrod (1991) |
| Joyce Wilson (1992) | Nancy Dixon (1993) |
| Sarah Glenn Grise (1994) | Dr. Lynn Chism (1995) |
| Deborah Williams (1996) | Sandy Jones (1997) |
| Dr. Georgia Childress (1998) | Robin Hunt (1999) |
| Pearl Taylor (2000) | Ann Puckett (2001) |
| Mary Cohron (2002) | Regina Parsley-Byrd (2003) |
| Ann Jewell (2004) | Kim Thomas (2005) |
| Heather Rogers (2006) | Regina Webb (2007) |
| Amy Milliken (2008) | Joy Rogers (2009) |
| Anne Grubbs (2010) | Tamara Vogler (2011) |
ATHENA Young Professional Award
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce first presented the ATHENA Young Professional Award in March 2008.
The individual receiving this award is an emerging leader who demonstrates excellence, provides provides valuable service to their business or profession and to the community, exhibits initiative and creativity, serves as a role model for young women personally and professionally, and is a partner of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce or employed by a partner.
| Jana Sublett (2008) | Laura Simpson Goodman (2009) |
| Kelly Ward Wiseman (2010) | Nancy Mitchell (2011) |
Bart Hagerman Leadership Award
The Bart Hagerman LeadershipAward is presented to a member of the graduating Leadership Bowling Green class each year. The award named for Bart Hagerman who served as the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce’s chamber executive from 1983 to 1986. Hagerman initiated the first leadership program for Chamber members in Kentucky while he worked as the assistant chamber executive at the Ashland (Ky.) Chamber of Commerce; that program became known as Leadership Ashland. He brought the program to Bowling Green when he accepted the chamber executive position, and he selected the first Leadership Bowling Green class in 1984.
| Joe Jakub (1986) | James C. Barnett (1987) |
| W.M. Biff Kummer (1988) | Thomas A. Donnelly (1989) |
| Gene C. Crume (1990) | Dr. Lynn Chism (1991) |
| H.B. Clark, Jr. (1992) | Ginger A. Cleary (1993) |
| Gary P. West (1994) | John G. Deeb (1995) |
| Steve K. Cline (1996) | Robbin M. Taylor (1997) |
| J. Rick Bard, Jr. (1998) | Jennifer L. Wethington (1999) |
| Kim Thomas (2000) | Leslie Watkins (2001) |
| Sue Parrigin (2002) | Doug Eberhart (2003) |
| Jay Lawless (2003) | Lisa Dunn (2005) |
| Bryan Finkbone (2006) | Debby Peeples (2007) |
| Jason Rose (2008) | Laura Hanks Petrino (2009) |
| Johnston Boyd (2010) | Adam Yates (2011) |
John B. Holland Business of the Year Award
Each year the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes a local business for its commitment and contributions to the community. The businesses that receive this award are civic-minded, make a significant impact on the area's economy, provide consistent and quality employment opportunities for citizens of the community, exhibit management principles and ethics that are reflected in total quality operations and product integrity, and show continued growth and corporate investment in the community. In 2011, the award was renamed in honor of John B. Holland, retired president and CEO of Fruit of the Loom, Inc.
| Holley Automotive (1986) | Fruit of the Loom, Inc. (1987) |
| DESA International (1988) | Eaton Corporation (1989) |
| General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant (1990) | Country Oven Bakery (1991) |
| Williamette Industries (1992) | LORD Corporation (1993) |
| Turner Industries II, Ltd. (1994) | Hill's Pet Nutrition (1995) |
| NASCO (NHK of America Suspension Components, Inc.) (1996) | Trace Die Cast (1997) |
| Hagis Lemmerz International (1998) | Fort James Corporation (1999) |
| Bando Manufacturing (2000) | SCA Personal Care (2001) |
| Huish Detergents, Inc. (2002) | Southern Foods, Inc. (2003) |
| Houchens Industries, Inc. (2004) | RC Components (2005) |
| Stupp Bridge Company (2006) | NASCO (NHK of American Suspension Components, Inc.) (2007) |
| Kobe Aluminum Automotive Parts, LLC (2008) | Berry Plastics Corporation (2009) |
| Fruit of the Loom, Inc. (2010) | General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant (2011) |
Small Business Person Of The Year
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes a Small Business Person of the Year during Small Business Appreciation Week every year. The recipient must be a Chamber partner, be associated with a for-profit company that employs 100 or fewer full-time employees, own and operate a small business in which the nominee’s own money is invested in the enterprise, have experienced recent business growth, and be involved in the development and growth of our community.
| Johnny Webb (1985) | Sandy Jones (1986) |
| Carroll Hildreth (1987) | B.J. Booth (1988) |
| Cornelius Martin (1989) | Bill Jackson (1988) |
| Mike Buchanon (1991) | Harold Brantley (1992) |
| Rick Kelley (1993) | David Wiseman (1994) |
| Al Baker (1995) | Joe Natcher (1996) |
| Mike Murphy (1997) | David Bradford (1998) |
| Curt Sullivan (1999) | Doug Gorman (2000) |
| Steve Sheldon (2001) | Jim Johnson (2002) |
| Janet Henderson (2003) | Tim Earnhart (2004) |
| Chris Thompson (2005) | David Chandler (2006) |
| Jim Smith (2007) | Carl Chaney (2008) |
| Joe Davis (2009) | Thad F. Connally, III (2010) |
| Regina Webb (2011) |
Herb Smith Lifetime Achievement Award
The Herb Smith Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have significantly impacted the South Central Kentucky region and its economic advancement by demonstrating a sincere desire and effort to reach beyond their personal interests to allow others to succeed while exemplifying the Chamber's core values of inclusiveness, integrity, leadership and service. The Chamber presented the inaugural award to Smith's family at the 2011 Annual Dinner.
| Herb Smith Family (2011) | Charles M. Moore, Jr. (2011) |
