Director Pat Marsh, left, joins Association members Garrett Gordon and Dr. Jimmy Clark in conversation prior to the 2008 TWHNC Association annual meeting on Tuesday night. (TWHNC photo) [Click to enlarge]

The annual meeting of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Association was held Tuesday in the Blue Ribbon Circle Club on the Celebration grounds.

Celebration Board of Directors Chairman David L. Howard presided over the meeting and brought association members up to date on the state of the industry and the search for a new chief executive officer. Interim CEO Virgil Johnson brought members up to date on ongoing business and plans for the upcoming year. Andy Lile of Winnett Associates, PLLC, reviewed the financial report.

Jim Allison, new TWHNC board member (TWHNC photo) [Click to enlarge]

Association member Jim Allison was elected to replace outgoing director Bailey Little, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Allison was elected to the Celebration Association in 2007 and is general manager of Duck River Electric Membership Corp. in Shelbyville. He is also a football official in the Southeastern Conference.

Allison has over 25 years of experience in the electric utility industry in the eastern United States. He began his career at TVA in 1976 and left in 1983 to join the American Electric Power Co., one of the world's largest electric utility companies, in positions in Indiana, Michigan and West Virginia. He also spent three years as a senior vice president with Kentucky Utilities Co. and three years as CEO of the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia. He joined Duck River and moved to Shelbyville in 1999.

"I am extremely honored to be named to the Celebration Board of Directors," said Allison in a news release. "The Celebration is very important to Shelbyville and the surrounding areas and I am excited about possibly being able to assist in any way I can to assure that it remains the premier event of its kind."

Along with the addition of Allison, the remaining six members of the Board of Directors were re-elected by the Association. Officers elected for the upcoming year include chairman David Howard, vice-chairman Charles McDonald, treasurer D.B. Nelson, Jr. and secretary Henry Hulan, III. The remaining board members are Pat Marsh and John T Bobo.

The Celebration Association is the 40-person governing body of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. The Board of Directors is chosen from the pool of Association members.

Seven new members of the Celebration Association were elected to replace outgoing members. New members are Ron Bell, Scott Johnson, Christy Parsons, Mike Rittenberry, Austin Swing, Jim Tracy, and Lisa Turner.

The annual meeting for the TWHNC Association is an opportunity to keep the members updated on achievements from the previous year and the plans put in place for the next year of business.