Luncheon honors professional women

The 15th Annual Professional Women's Luncheon, held Wednesday at the Blue Ribbon Circle, honored four women with its regular annual awards -- and surprised a fifth woman by honoring her for starting the event.

The event is sponsored by WLIJ-AM/WZNG-AM.

Nancy Sorrells of Peoples Bank was named Professional Woman of the Year, with Ann Spencer named Volunteer of the Year. Judy Agee of Bedford County Highway Department was named Secretary of the Year, and Laura Parham of Heritage South Credit Union recieved the Faithful Service Award.

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(T-G Video by John I. Carney)

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Following those four presentations, emcee Kay Rose announced that she and other past winners of the Professional Woman of the Year had purchased a plaque to think Nadine Hopkins, an owner of WLIJ/WZNG, for her work in starting the luncheon and organizing it each year.

Stacie Kinder, director of cheerleading for the Tennessee Titans, was an engaging keynote speaker for the event.

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(T-G Video by John I. Carney)

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She noted that all of the team's 32 cheerleaders have either full-time jobs or are full-time students; half are married and two have children. So being a cheerleader is a time-intensive avocation for them. In addition to the time spent cheering at the games, they spend countless hours rehearsing and more hours throughout the year attending community service events. Some have taken unpaid days off from work to appear at various military installations, and the squad adopted six military members who have few family members, sending them Christmas gifts and notes of support.

Kinder said the cheerleaders arrive before the players and often leave afterward. She told the story of once asking then-Titans quarterback Steve McNair to leave the field because she and her squad weren't yet through rehearsing a difficult routine. The Titans lost that day, and Kinder laughingly said she hopes it wasn't her fault.

Kinder said that all of us, in our own way, are cheerleaders, offering support to those around us, and noted that a CEO who is a friend of her family has "head cheerleader" on his business card because he sees that as his role within the company.

The four standard awards were presented by their corporate sponsors.

Tommy Anderton of Regions Bank, sponsor of the Faithful Service Award, said eight letters were submitted nominating Parham for her 24 years at Heritage South (which was known as EPCO when she started).

"No job is too large or too small," said one nominator.

"She leads by example on a daily basis," said another.

Dan Buckner, CEO of Bedford County Medical Center / Heritage Medical Center, praised Volunteer of the Year Spencer for her work in church and community, and, for comic effect, boasted repeatedly throughout his presentation that she is a "pink lady" at the hospital. Spencer, a retired teacher, is active at First United Methodist Church, works in local beautification, Family and Community Education clubs, and 4-H.

Ed Lewis of Stor-N-Lock honored Judy Agee of Bedford County Highway Department as Secretary of the Year. Agee spent most of her career working on a factory floor and cleaning homes, and when Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman first approached her about the secretary job she was reluctant. But she took classes to prepare herself for her new career.

Wayne Hix of Heritage Jewelers presented Sorrells with the Professional Woman of the Year award.

"She exhibits God and her heart through her actions and words," said one nominator.

Sorrells was called dedicated and knowledgeable and was praised for treating everyone respectfully regardless of income and social status.

Rose, who retired a year ago as editor of the Times-Gazette, is the event's long-time emcee and continued in that role.

The Rev. Dr. Lloyd Doyle delivered the invocation.