SOMERSET —
He’ll soon begin his third year on the job, but McCreary County Deputy Judge-Executive Andrew Powell is known throughout the region as a star rookie.
Last Wednesday, Powell was honored by TOUR Southern and Eastern Kentucky (TOUR SEKY) as its 2012 Rookie of the Year during the organization’s 25th Anniversary Celebration.
“We wanted to recognize the outstanding involvement and dedication of an individual who is new to the TOUR SEKY Program and has hit the ground running,” Said Jeff Crowe, TOUR SEKY President/CEO. “Deputy Judge Powell has been an active TOUR SEKY participant for only a short time but he has made a tremendous impact in his county and with our organization.”
In introducing Powell, Crowe noted that the deputy judge has been instrumental in increasing community involvement in tourism and in developing new trails to attract visitors.
Still in development is the Skullbone ATV Recreation Area, which is expected to host a test run beginning this Saturday at 9 a.m. For more information, call 376-5659 or 376-2413.
Powell is also excited about the upcoming launch of McCreary County Tourism’s revamped website, which will offer a more interactive experience for visitors and is expected to go live in a matter of weeks.
TOUR SEKY hosted the 25th Anniversary Celebration Brunch and Awards Ceremony at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. Nearly 200 tourism professionals, elected officials and tourism business representatives took part in the event. The theme was “Celebrate the Silver!”
Crabtree Wilson Insurance Agency, represented by Grady Wilson, helped sponsor the event.
Congressman Hal Rogers (KY 5th Dist.) served as Keynote Speaker, applauding TOUR SEKY's volunteers for their hard work and dedication over the past quarter of a century and encouraging them to keep their efforts going for another 25 years.
Bill Hardman Jr., Southeast Tourism Society (STS) President and CEO also spoke to the attendees. STS is a non-profit organization dedicated to tourism promotion in 12 states throughout the southeast. Hardman discussed “Tourism as an Industry,” noting that tourism is among the top three industries in each of the 12 states served by his organization.
The celebration also included a special performance from Logan Hall, 2012 Road to Fame Winner. Hall sang his new single “Treasures from the Ground.”
In addition to Rookie of the Year, TOUR also announced many other awards including its Shining STAR (Knox County Board of Education) and Governmental Tourism Impact (KY Adventure Tourism Executive Director Elaine Wilson) award winners. For a complete list of award winners, please contact Maggie Bill at 606-677-6093 or mbill@ tourseky.com.
TOUR SEKY is an award-winning initiative of Congressman Hal Rogers. The organization's mission is to educate, expand, develop and market the existing and potential tourism industry throughout southern and eastern Kentucky, while contributing to the economic, cultural growth, health and awareness, and overall quality of life of the region. For additional information about TOUR SEKY visit www.tourseky.com, or call 606-677-6093.
Local News
Related Photos
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L to R: Jeff Crowe (TOUR SEKY), Andy Powell, and Congressman Hal Rogers at TOUR SEKY’s 25th anniversary celebration.
Deputy Judge earns regional award
Powell named TOUR SEKY 2012 Rookie of the Year
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