Kelly Arnold Receives 2012 Bart Hagerman Leadership Award |
BOWLING GREEN, KY-The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce announced that Kelly Arnold is the 2012 Bart Hagerman Leadership Award recipient during last night's Leadership Bowling Green graduation ceremony. "The Chamber congratulates Kelly on his award. He represents all that the Hagerman Award honors," said D. Gaines Penn, Chamber Board of Directors chairman. The Hagerman Award is the top honor bestowed upon a graduating member of the Leadership Bowling Green program, and the recipient is selected by a vote of his or her classmates. Adam Yates, the 2011 Hagerman Award recipient, presented the award to Arnold. The Hagerman Award is named for Bart Hagerman who served as the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce's chamber executive from 1983 to 1986. Hagerman initiated the first leadership program for Chamber members in Kentucky while he worked as the assistant chamber executive at the Ashland (Ky.) Chamber of Commerce; that program became known as Leadership Ashland. He brought the program to Bowling Green when he accepted the chamber executive position, and he selected the first Leadership Bowling Green class in 1984. In Arnold's application to the Leadership Bowling Green program, he wrote, "As a small business owner in Bowling Green/Warren County for the past 21 years, I have a true interest in learning more about what makes this community such a great place to live and work." Arnold is the president of Gemini Homes, Inc., and was also the 2012 LBG class president. His professional achievements include several construction awards:
Arnold is very active in the local community. His activities include being a Chamber partner, the Builders Association of South Central KY, Inc., and the NAWB Builder20 Program. He has served as president and a member of the Board of Directors for the Builders Association, and he is a Certified Green Professional and an EPA Energy Star Partner. He has also been active in Chamber committees.. 2012 LBG Chair Tamara Vogler, BB&T financial center leader, congratulated him, saying, "Kelly exemplifies the word 'leadership,' and he's been a tremendous asset for our class. We're grateful for all he has done for us." Vogler and co-chair Johnston Boyd, VP of operations at The Vision Group USA, LLC, led this year's program. Graduates of the 2012 Leadership Bowling Green class are:
Additionally, three members of the 2011 Leadership Bowling Green Class received their diplomas: Bart Fisher of Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.; Jacinta Porter of Bell, Orr, Ayers & Moore, PSC; and Lynn Hunt of Weichert Realtors-The Hunt Group. Leadership Bowling Green applications will be available Friday, December 14, online at www.bgchamber.com and are due Monday, January 28, by the close of business (4:30 p.m. CST). For more information, contact Program Director Gail Henderson at the Chamber: 270-781-3200. |