Commerce Lexington Announces Annual Awards for Community Impact, Volunteerism; Recipients to be Recognized January 29th

​[Lexington, KY] – Commerce Lexington is proud to announce its annual awards recognizing community impact and volunteerism, which highlight individuals and organizations that have had a significant impact on our organization and the community.  The Volunteer of the Year Award recipient is Debbie Smith, Lexington Market Leader for Cherry Bekaert LLP, while the Community Impact Award will be presented to the partners of the Central Kentucky Business Park Authority, the first-ever public, multi-county regional business park in Central Kentucky.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor, Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley, Scott County Judge Executive Joe Pat Covington, and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton sign the agreement for the Central Kentucky Business Park Authority.

​Commerce Lexington Inc. President & CEO, Bob Quick, said, “For 250 years, Lexington has been shaped by people who believed that progress happens through collaboration. People are our greatest asset here in the region, and those who volunteer their time and talent to help make good things happen should be recognized and celebrated. We appreciate all of our volunteers for stepping up to make Greater Lexington the absolute best it can be. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients.”

​Volunteer of the Year Award:
Cherry Bekaert’s Debbie Smith joined the Commerce Lexington board of directors in 2019 and has served as treasurer since 2022. She has been invaluable to our team, providing guidance and expertise in all areas of accounting to ensure a strong financial structure. In her role, she has helped us navigate several key organizational changes to streamline operations, such as the dissolution of two organizations and the creation of the Commerce Lexington Foundation and the regional entity Greater LEX - both of which she now assists as treasurer. She has given extra time above and beyond her board position, making herself available for monthly financial meetings or to review and approve important documentation, while heading up Commerce Lexington’s Finance Committee during the busy audit and tax season for her own firm. 
 
Community Impact Award:
The Community Impact Award honors individuals and organizations that have made a lasting impact on Commerce Lexington, our community, and our region. One of the key challenges identified in the Regional Competitiveness Plan was the lack of shovel-ready land needed to attract and retain jobs across our nine-county region. This year’s award recognizes four regional local government leaders who came together to address this critical economic development need through collaboration and shared vision by creating the first-ever public, multi-county regional business park in Central Kentucky.  This partnership—known as the Central Kentucky Business Park Authority—is working to jointly develop sites that support job creation and long-term regional job growth. Currently, the Authority is advancing development on two sites in Madison County. Through an interlocal agreement, participating governments share both the costs of site development and the revenues generated through job creation. The recipients of this award include Scott County Judge-Executive Joe Pat Covington, Madison County Judge-Executive Reagan Taylor, Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley, and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton.
 
The award recipients will be presented with their awards during An Evening With Commerce Lexington presented by Fifth Third Bank on Thursday, January 29th at Central Bank Center.  During this annual gathering of the regional business community, participants will experience great networking and connecting with colleagues, excellent music and food, and a brief program featuring a variety of speakers.  Register on-line at https://www.commercelexington.com/evening.html. 

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