Staff Reports, The Oak Ridger
December 08, 2006
The Spallation Neutron Source at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the reconstruction of Oak Ridge High School in the heart of downtown Oak Ridge, and the Y-12 National Security Complex’s “renaissance” were all cited as examples of the local community’s active present and bright future at Friday’s annual meeting of the East Tennessee Economic Council.
Also, three new recipients of the “Muddy Boot Award,” a tribute to those who have been dedicated to building a stronger community, were named during the meeting that drew about 350 people to the Oak Ridge Mall’s Cumberland Room.
Ken Green, assistant superintendent of the Oak Ridge school system, was also presented with the second annual Postma Young Professional Medal.
Named for the late Herman Postma, this award was created in 2005 by the ETEC board to honor the accomplishments of young professionals who have made an impact and fostered a community culture in our region.
Ann Pope, co-chairwoman of the Appalachian Regional Council, keynoted Friday’s event, which also featured special recognition of Carolyn Jensen, director of Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist's East Tennessee office for the last 12 years, and a tribute to the Oak Ridge High School Siemen's Award Winners.
“There are a lot of challenges here in East Tennessee,” Pope stated Friday morning. “But there are a lot more opportunities.”
The 2006 Muddy Boot Awards were presented to:
• Tom Rogers, president and chief executive officer of Technology 2020
• State Sen. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge
• Billy Stair, communications director for Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
U.S. Congressman Zach Wamp, R-3rd District, himself a Muddy Boot winner, talked about the importance of the Boot in a video presentation.
“Let me say how important this day is, a day when we recognize great Tennesseans for their good works,” said Wamp.
“The Muddy Boot is to me one of the great traditions of Oak Ridge. It reflects on our Manhattan Project heritage and all the incredibly important things we've done in Oak Ridge since that time. Anyone who gets this award has proven they are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to help Oak Ridge continue to carry out these missions for our country.
“I want to congratulate all four award winners today, and I want to encourage you to continue your good works,” Wamp added. “What we've done in Oak Ridge over the last 10 years is an example for our whole country.
“We're on the move because of the work all four of these people have done.”
The Muddy Boot Award was created in the 1970s to honor people who have gone above the call of duty — like those people who served the nation in the Manhattan Project — to make this community, the state of Tennessee and our nation better. More than 60 people have received the awards since that time, and a full list of recipients and more information about the award can be found on the ETEC Web site at www.eteconline.org.
Tom Rogers is the president and chief executive officer of Technology 2020, a public-private partnership whose mission is to develop and support technology companies in the Tennessee Valley Corridor.
Rogers served as the executive director of the Tennessee Technology Development Corp. from 2000 to 2003. Prior to his move to Technology 2020 in 1996, he served as president of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and held several management positions at TVA in the areas of economic development and strategic planning.
Rogers serves as chairman of the board of Digital Crossing Networks LLC, and on the boards of the Southern Appalachian Fund, the Tennessee Biotechnology Association, the UT-Battelle Development Corp., and the East Tennessee Economic Council. He holds an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a master of regional planning degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Billy Stair, director of Communications and External Relations for ORNL, is responsible for coordination of media relations, marketing support for the scientific agenda of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, internal communications, and communication with ORNL retirees. He also serves as the laboratory's primary liaison with a variety of community and political stakeholders.
Other functions under his direction are the operation of the ORNL Research Library, graphic design and publishing services, community outreach efforts, and oversight of the American Museum of Science and Energy.
A native of Kingsport, Stair received a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, N.C., and a master's degree in history from Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pa. He worked in Tennessee's state government for 18 years, serving in both the legislative and executive branches. From 1987 to 1994, he served as Gov. Ned Ray McWherter's senior policy advisor.
Stair left state government in 1994 to serve as executive assistant to the president of the University of Tennessee, Joe Johnson, assisting in government relations, communications, athletics, and various budgetary initiatives. In October 1999, he joined the UT team that partnered with Battelle to develop a successful proposal for managing and operating ORNL for the Department of Energy.
Stair is co-author of a textbook, “Government and Politics in Tennessee,” released in 2001 by the University of Tennessee Press.
State Sen. Randy McNally has served the Oak Ridge area in the state legislature for the past 30 years, and he won re-election unopposed in the November primary. A graduate of Oak Ridge High School (Class of 1962), McNally works full time as a pharmacist at Methodist Medical Center.
He is married to Jan McNally, administrator of Methodist Medical Center, and has two children.
McNally is vice chairman, Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, a member of the Senate Rules Committee, and a member of the Senate General Welfare Committee. He won the Distinguished Service Award, UT College of Pharmacy, in 1996; and is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.
Among other honors, McNally won the Bill Bates Award in 1994; the MADD Outstanding Legislator, Distinguished Service Award, American Council on Alcohol Problems in 1994; the Common Cause "Bird Dog" Award in 1994; Sertoma Man of the Year in 1991; and the Republican Legislator of the Year in 1990.
The East Tennessee Economic Council is a non-profit membership organization that focuses on bringing people together to create new opportunities for federal research, national security and environmental programs, and to support technology transfer and economic development programs.