Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 15, 1994 TAG: 9412150031
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-15 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
It was during that time that Pulaski County lost the AT&T plant at Fairlawn and saw other industry reversals.
Keogh, guest speaker at Tuesday night's 42nd annual Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce membership banquet, said the region was hit by a lot of jolts during that time and probably suffered more job losses for its population than any other region in Virginia.
``I think it was a series of bad breaks,'' he said, about which the county could do nothing. But the county proved its ability to prevent such job losses, he said, by its involvement in the incentives package that kept the Volvo-GM Heavy Truck plant near Dublin from moving to one of the other states offering incentives.
The chamber and the Pulaski Encouraging Progress organization apparently had come to the same conclusion.
PEP and the chamber made a Special Recognition Award Tuesday to County Administrator Joe Morgan who was instrumental in pulling all the parties together to offer the incentives package that kept Volvo here. PEP Chairman Ed Barnes, in announcing the award, credited Morgan with keeping after all those involved in the package until the job was completed.
``It's my pleasure to be in a position to coordinate it, but I can't take credit for it,'' Morgan said. He named Assistant County Administrator Peter Huber as one of those who did much of the work.
Barnes, a step ahead, then announced the start of another award to be presented on an as-deserved basis and to be named for its first recipient: the Peter Huber Unsung Hero Award.
Keogh commented that, in all his visits to chambers throughout the state, this was the first time he had seen such honors going to public officials such as those in county administrator offices.
Barnes himself seemed surprised a few minutes later to be called back to the podium to receive the chamber's annual Business Executive of the Year Award. Barnes, who has been president of New River Community College since 1991, serves on agencies such as the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance and New Century Council.
The annual Southwest Times Civic Honors Award went to Tom Powers for his work on such projects as the annual fund-raising Pulaski yard sale, Habitat for Humanity and Daily Bread.
Kevin Meyer, who works at Pulaski Community Hospital, won the 1994 Chamber Excellence Award for a nonboard member active in volunteer activities. A new 1994 Medical Volunteer Award from the hospital was presented to Ronnie Huddle.
The chamber's 1994 award to the top solicitor in the organization's annual fund-raising auction, which raises a quarter of its budget, went to Mitzi Barnes, a Volvo employee. Tony Hughes took the 1994 Membership Sales Award for landing 30 new chamber members by using telemarketing techniques.
Wade Lephew, chamber president for 1994, passed the gavel to new President Sue Berkley. Berkley introduced the other incoming officers: Mark Wigginton, vice president for community development; Gary Elander, vice president, internal affairs; Barnes, vice president, economic development; and Pulaski Community Hospital Administrator Chris Dux as president-elect for 1996.
by CNB