Chamber awards local businesses
By Frank Ruggiero

In opening the Sixth Annual Alfred Adams Leadership Awards, Wachovia regional director Jason Triplett quoted former Boone Mayor Wade Brown in describing the late Alfred Adams.

Harry Davis (left), chair of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, gives Kenneth Wilcox the Alfred Adams Business Leadership Award for 2005. Photo By Marie Freeman

“Alfred Adams is to Watauga County what salt is to vegetable soup,” Brown was reported to have said.

Though a banker in his time, Adams is best remembered in the county for his community advocacy and philanthropy, the central theme of each year’s awards ceremony.

Approximately 155 members of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives of local government and Appalachian State University, congregated in the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center Thursday afternoon for the ceremony, which is perhaps the most popular portion of the JobLink Appreciation Week.

Only a select few, however, would receive awards.

Dan Meyer, president of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, presented the community advocate award to orthodontist Dr. Mike Mayhew.

“It’s always special to be recognized for something you enjoy doing,” Mayhew said, recalling his first years in practice in Boone. “It didn’t take me long to realize the sense of community.”

In Mayhew’s nomination form, practice staff member Risa Wallace cited some of Mayhew’s philanthropic accomplishments, one being a fundraiser currently underway to raise $600,000 as an endowment for teacher projects in Watauga County schools.

“Dr. Mayhew is involved with the handicapped, our education system, the less fortunate, and all areas that improve the quality of life,” Wallace wrote. “Dr. Mayhew truly is an example to our office and to those who surround him about ‘giving back’ to our community.”

The second community advocacy award was presented to George Brudzinski and Colleen Fox of Blue Horse Promotions, “who have quietly made their mark on the High Country,” Meyer said. “Though quietly involved, their answer of support is loud and clear.”

Among the company’s accomplishments are contributions to the Watauga County chapter of the American Red Cross, Santa’s Toy Box, Hospice, the Watauga Education Foundation, Crimestoppers, Relay for Life (Watauga and Ashe counties), Arts Council (Watauga and Ashe), Ashe Memorial hospital Foundation and the Watauga Humane Society.

A man of few words, Brudzinski graciously accepted the award, though said he did not deserve it. Ironically, Blue Horse Promotions has crafted the award plaques for the leadership awards for four years, and Brudzinski admitted he was surprised when Meyer called and asked them to put their name on one of the plaques.

Joedy Eller, immediate past chair of the chamber’s board of directors, presented an employer of the year award to Kent Tarbutton of Chetola Resort.

Writing on behalf of the staff, Chetola’s director of sales, Margaret Holder, praised Tarbutton’s continuing support of all employees at the Blowing Rock resort, including an employee appreciation day event.

“We’ve done things from ‘Hee Haw Days’ to ‘Casino Night’ and Hawaiian luaus to this year’s event that was held at the Outback Steakhouse,” she wrote. “In addition to great food and fun, all employees have the opportunity to take home great prizes from gift certificates provided by local merchants to the grand prize, a week’s vacation with destination options around the world.”

Staff members of the month receive a paid vacation day and two complimentary passes to the movies. Furthermore, all nominees for the staff member of the month receive a grocery store gift card.

Tarbutton expressed gratitude to the entire staff for the compliments.

“I’ve had a very blessed life, but there’s no greater blessing than working with the people [at Chetola],” Tarbutton said. “It makes it worthwhile to do what we do. I’m thrilled to be here with a lot of good people. I shine because they make me shine.”

The second employer of the year award was presented to Dr. M. Barry Ellis of Boone Regional Ear, Nose and Throat (BRENT). In the nomination form, staff described the hardships the practice recently endured.

At the beginning of 2004, one of the three physicians at the practice, Dr. Sargent, left the practice after seven years. While searching for a new physician, the second practicing physician, Dr. Garth, suffered from a massive stroke.

With a small group left, “the practice not only thrived but grew,” the nomination form reads. “During this time, we had several personal losses and family sicknesses. Dr. Ellis was keeping his practice together by working night and day. He continued to have great patient care and the surgeries seemed to be increasing.”

Nonetheless, BRENT continued its support to the National Muscular Sclerosis Society and the teacher of the year award. Ellis also regularly participates in the “Blood, Sweat and Gears” bicycle race for the Jeremy Dale Fisher Fund.

“An employer’s not worth much,” Ellis said. “His staff, however, is worth a lot. I certainly am humbled by this award. It’s quite an honor.”

Ellis thanked his staff, as well as his wife, Langhorne, for her continued support.

Harry Payne, chairman of the N.C. Employment Security Commission, delivered the keynote speech.

Payne described “communities” as places where “people can see problems, people can see solutions and they work together on them, acting on compassion.” Having grown up on the coast, he compared Boone’s winter weather to hurricanes, saying that in such severe weather, everyone seems to pull together.

He told attendees to imagine a house covered with 10 feet of snow, while everywhere else was warm and dry. The JobLink program is people pulling together to help, he explained.

“It’s that ability to see the problem and realize the individual nature and how unique it has to be in every case,” Payne said. “This place is so special … because of the people who life here – people who not only see needs, but see needs other than their own.”

Payne said the county should celebrate its traditionally low unemployment rate, and thanked residents for “doing what you do … to reach out to your brothers and sisters every day.”

Harry Davis, chair of the chamber’s board of directors, presented the Alfred Adams Business Leadership Award to Kenneth Wilcox. Among some of Wilcox’s philanthropic endeavors are his memberships to the chamber, the Boone Jaycees, the Watauga County Economic Development Commission, the Watauga County Committee of 100, the finance committee at the First Baptist Church, and the N.C. National Park, Parkway and Forest Development Commission from 1974 to 1997.

Wilcox is also a deacon at the First Baptist Church, and belongs to the ASU Athletic Council. He served as a Watauga County commissioner from 1968 to 1974, and an ASU trustee from 1987 to 1997. He was chair of the trustees from 1994 to 1995. Wilcox continues to sit on the Watauga Medical Center board of directors.

In the way of business, Wilcox invested in, helped start or was partner to Wilcox Drug Co., Appalachian Evergreens, Western Steer of Boone, Polar Palace Ice Skating Rink, Kawasaki of Boone, Cardinal Motel, Dan’l Boone Inn, Sagebrush, Log Village, various apartments, High Country Tree Farms and Independence Tree Farms.

Upon receiving the award, Wilcox said he’s always honored to be named for anything in the name of Alfred Adams.

“I’ve enjoyed my life in this community,” he said. “We live in a wonderful place with a lot of wonderful people.”