The winners of the annual Leadership DeKalb Alumni awards winners were recognized at the annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet Tuesday night at the DeKalb County Complex.
The Community Leader of the Year Award went to Jeff Cantrell, and Faye and Jack Underhill earned the Legacy Leader Award.
The keynote speaker was President/CEO of WCTE in Cookeville, Becky Magura.
The Community Leader of the Year award goes to someone who most emulates the definition of community trustee and servant-leader in his or her recent service to DeKalb County. Nominees are considered who have made a significant and positive impact on the county, specifically during 2014 and in a capacity beyond their professional commitments.
"For several years, Jeff has been the backbone of the Farmers’ Market," said Leadership DeKalb Director Jen Sherwood. "Not only has he worked tirelessly to produce and present his own beautiful vegetables, he has been the go-to guy to make the Farmers’ Market a huge summer success. For over 20 years Jeff has been growing and selling vegetables, with at least the last 10 years at the Farmers Market. He has been instrumental in the growth the FM has seen in recent years, as the county complex was built and the adjacent FM permanent structure was built 3 years ago. The Farmers Market has become a focal point of community partnerships with programming offered by the Justin Potter library, Off the Beaten Path artists, healthy eating workshops and fresh produce cooking demonstrations. Community pride is flourishing and lake visitors flock to this one-of-a-kind, grassroots, family-friendly Saturday morning fun event from April until the last tomatoes and gourds of fall. Jeff is an active member of Whorton Springs Baptist Church. His wife is Deborah Cantrell, works at DTC Communications and is a Leadership DeKalb alum. They have 2 beautiful daughters, ages 19 and 21, roommates and college students at Tennessee Tech. Thank you, Jeff, for being at the helm and for sharing your passion and expertise in growing the Farmers Market over the past several years."
The Legacy Award goes to someone who most emulates the definition of community trustee and servant-leader in his or her continued service to DeKalb County. The recipient has made a significant and positive impact on DeKalb County over a considerable period of time and in multiple or lasting ways.
"The Underhill's have been an instrumental part of one of DeKalb County’s finest traditions: the DeKalb County Fair, "The Grandpa Fair of the South." Both Jack and Faye have been a part of the fair for decades. They have served in various positions on the fair board, but that is not where you will most likely find Jack and Faye," said Sherwood. "Their work does not start opening day or end when the trucks and carnival rides move out. They spend many days at the fairgrounds getting everything spruced up for the event. You will find them mowing, cleaning up a building, or anything else that needs to be done. The fair is a huge event for DeKalb County. Many people come back "home" to visit with family and friends during the week of the fair. It is a type of homecoming. What’s vacation for some is when they are hard at work. Jack and Faye’s dedication to this event is immeasurable. Our deepest thanks to the Underhills for their years of service to the Alexandria community, DeKalb County and our wonderful fair," Sherwood said.
Tomomi McDowell McWhirter was presented the Chamber Extra Miler Award, which recognizes individuals in the community who have gone the extra mile to make a difference. She has regularly provided music entertainment at chamber functions.
