Friday, October 26, 2012

Bluegrass Tomorrow recognizes individuals, organizations with annual ‘Vision Awards’

Bluegrass Tomorrow awarded annual ‘Vision Awards’ to eight organizations and individuals for exceptional contributions to the quality of life of the 18-county region it serves.

The awards were presented at Bluegrass Tomorrow’s annual “Regional Celebration” at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Lexington Friday morning.

Recipients were:

Education: Morehead State University, recognizing the university’s participation in the Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium and its Space science Center, a cottage aerospace industry that has privately produced a number of satellites put into orbit. MSU is one of only five institutions in the U.S. to offer a bachelor’s degree in space science.

Conservation Corridors: City of Sadieville and its Mayor Claude Christensen and City Clerk Cindy Foster, for advocacy in the development of the new Bluegrass Hike-Bike-Horseback Trails Alliance, which is working to extend the Legacy Trail north from the Kentucky Horse park and Masterson state Park, making Sadieville a trail town. A recent National Parks Service grant has been approved for the project.

Young Professionals: Rotaract Club of Lexington, an organization of young professional committed to service, leadership and professional development. The Lexington club raised funds for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society through pro-active service that encompassed several fund-raising event.

Frank Penn

Agriculture: Frank Penn, owner of Pennbrook Farm, who has been active in rural conservancy, planning and management for over 40 years.

Green Community: Franklin County Greenvision Commission, a coalition of the city of Frankfort, Franklin County Fiscal Court and the Frankfort Electric and Water Plant Board focused on green and sustainability planning.

Robert Clay President’s Award: Carol Hanley, associate director for the University of Kentucky Environmental and Natural Resources Initiative in the College of Agriculture, who has been active in the Bluegrass Greenvision Oversight Committee and a strong advocate for sustainability and the environment.

Bluegrass Legacy Award: Kentucky Utilities and Nelson Maynard, for support of various community initiatives related to Bluegrass Tomorrow.

Doug Whitock

Josephine Abercrombie Award: Doug Whitlock, president of Eastern Kentucky University, for visionary leadership on Bluegrass Tomorrow, including the Innovision 2018 Study, and with the university, where is produce its first Truman, Goldwater and Fulbright scholars, added several Ph.D. programs, and oversaw development of the EKU Center for the Arts, a new facility for the Manchester campus and the first phase of a new science center.

Bluegrass Tomorrow is nonprofit organization which seeks to enhance the quality of life in the Bluegrass Region by facilitating partnerships among public, private, and corporate citizens by building a foundation of cooperation. The organization is a coalition of business, farming, development, and preservation interests dedicated to developing a regional unified vision focusing on land use, job growth, and quality of life innovations for the central Bluegrass Region of Kentucky.