Partnership celebrates its 20th anniversary with virtual awards ceremony
The Greater Starkville Development Partnership celebrated its 20th anniversary in its first ever virtual awards ceremony on Thursday morning.
GSDP founding members Tommy Tomlinson, Melvin Ray and Terry Kemp opened up the virtual awards program with a special anniversary video which reflected on the Partnership’s history and the roadway it paved for the future.
“The origins of the Partnership actually started with the Chamber of Commerce. We decided to attack some of the issues that we had been hearing for years and years and come up with a plan to address some of these issues, out of all that came the Partnership,” said Tomlinson. “We had to bring everybody together, and in bring people together, we ask everybody to leave their ego at the door. This is what’s best for our community, which in turn, is great for our families.”
GSDP Chairman Robert Clark began Thursday’s presentation by thanking Partnership members for working through what has been a difficult year for everyone.
“Each year, we come together for our annual banquet to celebrate the many accomplishments of the Partnership and all who help make this great organization so successful,” said Clark. “Although we’re unable to do so in person at this time, we are optimistic that we will be able to celebrate together again soon. First, I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize all of the wonderful people and organizations who make up the Partnership and who contributed so much to our community throughout the last year. Although we are not in person, this is still certainly a celebration. This year is our 20th year as a Partnership, and we couldn’t be happier to have such outstanding leadership in place.”
As the award presentations began, Starkville-oktibbeha Achieving Results (SOAR) President Buddy Staggers presented three SOAR Teachers of Distinction honors to Chelsea Brasher of Overstreet Elementary School, Erin Landrum of Henderson Ward Stewart Middle School, and Vijay Pacharne of Starkville High School.
Following that, Hagan Walker, Chairman of the Starkville Main Street Association presented two awards on behalf of SMSA.
The first award for SMSA Partner of the Year was awarded to the Starkville Area Arts Council for their many contributions of making the Starkville Main Street District a more vibrant area.
SMSA’S next award as this year’s Steve Langston Downtown Revitalization Award Winner was honored to Mayor Lynn Spruill.
“Mayor Spruill eats, sleeps, and dreams Starkville,” said GSDP Board Member Paul Luckett. “That is what has made her an excellent mayor, she focuses on the downtown area because that area characterizes community. She concentrates a lot of time and effort to make sure that when people come to Starkville and come to the downtown district, they kind of get a sense of what the town is like: vibrant, open and inclusive, that has her fingerprints all over it.”
Chairman of the Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau Robin Fant posthumously honored the Crystal Pineapple Tourism Award to the late Dan Camp on his vision for the Cotton District.
“Tourism is about an experience; it’s about giving people something to take away. Dan began creating that in 1970 when he moved back to Starkville and started working in the Cotton District,” said former CVB Chair and friend of Camp, Michelle Jones. “He understood that it was about relationships, it was about creating a place where people lived, worked, shopped and dined. The Cotton District is the most unique thing that Starkville has to offer.”
Honoring an outstanding company within the Starkville community, the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority congratulated II-IV Incorporated as their Industry of the Year.
“II-IV is a great company and a great partner in our Thad Cochran Research and Technology Park,” said Vice President of Corporate Engagement and Economic Development at MSU Jim Martin. “II-IV is a company that’s focused on high-tech, they employ about a hundred employees with good paying jobs and high benefits. They’re extremely involved in the local community, and we’re so blessed to have them in our research park and in the Starkville community.”
GSDP Ambassador President Cory Lucius presented special recognition to four outstanding ambassadors, Peggy Buckley, Melanie Mitchell, Pat Lane, and Nina Welch for their years of dedication and service to the GSDP.
Former GSDP Chairman Michelle Amos presented the T.E. Veitch Community Service Award to Nellah Taylor.
“Nellah is just everywhere, I knew her through the church, but I saw her just so involved with the community,” said First Methodist Church Pastor Giles Lindley. “She is just one of those gifts to the community. When Nellah speaks, everybody stops, listens and pays attention because she knows what she’s talking about, but she also has this calming ability. She speaks in a way that she’s calm, calms everybody down, gets everybody on task, and just tells it how it is.”
The last award was the R. Clay Simmons Exemplary Enterprise Award, presented by David L. Simmons, son of R. Clay Simmons.
This year’s R. Clay Simmons Exemplary Enterprise Award for Most Outstanding Chamber Business of the Year was honored to Strange Brew Coffeehouse.
GSDP CEO Mike Tagert concluded the virtual award ceremony with some final comments.
“Our annual awards ceremony presentation aims to highlight the many outstanding achievements of individuals, organizations and businesses within the Starkville community, and we once again congratulate those award recipients,” said Tagert. “As I think about the past year, I’d like to first thank our membership for your ongoing commitment to our community and this organization. In our 20th year, we have grown to nearly 600 members, an incredible achievement in itself that has strengthened the place we are all proud to call home.”