Debbie Thompson, chief financial officer of Sweetwater Hospital, accepts the Community First Award for Healthcare on Scott Bowman’s behalf from Cleveland State President Bill Seymour.– What: Cleveland State Community College held its inaugural Community First Awards gala on its Cleveland, Tenn., campus, honoring people for their contributions to the community. The event included dinner and a concert by Mountain Faith Band, who was featured on “America’s Got Talent.”
Ten people were chosen as category winners and one was named Community Person of the Year from 64 nominations received by the awards committee.- Community First Person of the Year: Brenda Hughes, founder of the Bradley Initiative for Church and Community in 1998, now called Family Cornerstones Inc.
Category Winners
– Arts: Mary Kennedy Hendershot, executive director, Monroe Area Council for the Arts, in Madisonville, Tenn.
– Business: J. Lee Stewart, chief executive officer, Southern Heritage Bank in Cleveland
– Education: Mickey Blevins, director of McMinn County Schools in Athens, Tenn.
– Healthcare: Scott Bowman, administrator, Sweetwater Hospital, Sweetwater, Tenn.
– Nonprofit Leadership: Brenda Hughes, founder, Family Cornerstones in Cleveland
– Philanthropy: Bob Card, founder, Bob and Susan Card Charitable Foundation in Cleveland
– Public Service: George Poe, vice mayor of Cleveland
– Student Leadership: Wendy Armenta, student at Bradley Central High School
– Volunteer service: Donald Lorton, retired, Maytag Corp. president, and Nancy Casson, owner of The Red Ribbon, both of Cleveland.