More than 200 people gathered at the new 731Social Event Center on Vann Drive in Jackson on Monday evening to celebrate “West Tennessee Traditions of Excellence,” to elect new officers to the SWTDD Executive Board of Directors, and to present recognition awards to people and organizations in the region who are in keeping with the “tradition of excellence.”

The awards presented were for those who work cooperatively with SWTDD’s two distinct departments: the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities (AAAD) and Economic & Community Development (ECD). Recipients were honored for the impact that they are making in their communities and in the region. The 2019 award recipients were:

SWAAAD Senior Center of the Year: Scotts Hill Senior Center

The 2019 Senior Center of the Year Award was presented to the Scotts Hill Senior Center. Under the leadership of Sheila Adams, the Scotts Hill Senior Center has shown innovation and growth – and is well-known for its unique programming and community involvement.
The Senior Center hosts a free “Music on the Hill” event each month for the community to promote intergenerational relationships and recreation. It also collaborates with local health care entities to provide free health screenings and education.
Older adult participants enjoy day trips, game competitions with other senior centers, nutrition services and special holiday events. The Scotts Hill Senior Center consistently receives high marks on its annual audit for detailed record-keeping and fiscal management.

“The Scotts Hill Senior Center is making a tangible difference for senior adults in Decatur and Henderson counties,” said Shelley Hale, SWAAAD director. “Congratulations to Sheila Adams and the Scotts Hill Senior Center for winning the 2019 Senior Center of the Year award.”

SWAAAD Partner of the Year – Brownsville Police Department

The Brownsville Police Department received the SWTDD Partnership of the Year Award for its commitment to collaborating with its CREVAA program. CREVAA is an acronym for Collaborative Response to Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse. The program provides emergency services and coordination of services and supports for older and vulnerable adult victims of crime.
Brownsville Chief of Police Barry Diebold and Investigator Anthony Rankin have been instrumental in ensuring elderly victims in Haywood County receive the necessary services when they have been taken advantage of and/or abused. The police department leaders have also helped to get the word out about the CREVAA Program to other law enforcement officers in Brownsville and to individuals within the community. “The AAAD is incredibly thankful for the work of the Brownsville Police Department and looks forward to continuing the partnership to fight elder abuse,” said Shelley Hale.
SWAAAD Advisory Council Members of the Year Award: Helen Porter (Decatur County)
The 2019 Advisory Council Member of the Year Award was presented to Mrs. Helen Porter from Decatur County.

“Ms. Helen is a person who is consistent in her attendance and participation with the Council,” said Shelley Hale. “Her leadership is very much appreciated because is instrumental in providing feedback and suggestions on the AAAD’s activities and plans.”

Mrs. Helen volunteers at the Decatur County Senior Center where she also serves as its Chairperson of the Board. She is married to Dan Porter and they have three children and four grandchildren. In years gone by, Mrs. Helen was a nurse by profession. Today she enjoys reading, sewing, and loving on her dogs.

SWAAAD Volunteer of the Year Award: Jill Jones (Madison County)

The 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Jill Jones. Jones donates her time and talents to the Agency on Aging & Disability in multiple ways throughout the year – including providing training to staff members on event planning and decorating.

“Most recently, Jill used her talents to help the Area Agency on Aging & Disability in its responsibility of hosting of the SE4A Conference in Nashville,” said Shelley Hale. “Through her leadership and assistance, the aging staff experienced growth in their skills and in their approach to teamwork.” Jones lives in Madison County and retired early to care for her aging parents. She enjoys her grandchildren, traveling and sewing.

SWTDD Small Business of the Year: Samuel T. Bryant Distillery, LLC (Madison County)

The 2019 Small Business of the Year Award was presented to Samuel T. Bryant Distillery, a business that opened its doors on the outskirts of Madison County in July 2016.
The owner of the business, Sam Bryant, turned a large metal building, formerly used for his tree removal service, into a distillery. Desiring to create something between an old country store and an Irish pub, Bryant cut lumber at his sawmill when the tree business was still operational and turned it into the 3,800 SWTDD Awards square foot facility complete with a tasting room that can be used for various events including weddings, receptions, and business meetings.  The front doors were once the front doors of Ruby Tuesday’s; the back doors were salvaged from Longhorn Steakhouse after its fire.

Southwest Tennessee Development District’s Loan Program assisted Sam Bryant with the financing of signage on I-40 and with parking lot upgrades at the Distillery.
In college, Bryant studied chemical engineering and was already making wine when he decided to open the distillery at 1331 Lower Brownsville Road, just off Interstate 40 at Exit 74 in Madison County.
Products available at the Samuel T. Bryan Distillery include Tennessee Pete (Sam’s take on Tennessee Whiskey), Tennessee Pete (named after his father and a type of bourbon/scotch), Tennessee Moonshine, TNKilla, and Grappa. Currently, the Samuel T. Bryant Distillery produces 23 different products.

2019 SWTDD Project of the Year: City of Lexington & Henderson County

The 2019 SWTDD Project of the Year Award was presented to Henderson County and the City of Lexington for its “Rural Job Creation.”
“The leaders in Lexington and Henderson County have been working actively to improve their economic climate by helping to create access to good paying, high quality jobs,” said Joe Barker, Executive Director of SWTDD. “This foresight is essential because these jobs will, in turn, create a stronger ecosystem enabling growth, health, and an improved quality of life for all residents.”
In the last three years, this city and county have had nine industry expansions and new investment announcements. These have netted a total of 1,072 new job commitments and more than $50M in capital investment.
With this success, Lexington and Henderson County leaders are quick to recognize that such accomplishments have happened because of their “team-approach” to industrial recruitment and expansions. These leaders have worked hand-in-hand with local, state, and federal partners to capitalize on various opportunities to enhance infrastructure and to strengthen their workforce through grants and other sources of funding.

SWTDD Employees of the Year: Keita Cole (Crockett County) and Nicole Guinn (Chester County)

The SWTDD Employee of the Year Award is voted on by our staff and recognizes an individual who successfully performs the duties of his or her job and also goes above and beyond to serve the constituents in SWTDD’s communities. Because of a tie in voting, two employees were recognized.
The first SWTDD Employee of the Year Award was presented to Keita Cole from Crockett County. Keita is a person who has not only impacted the lives of older adults in the Southwest Tennessee region, but has also touched lives of older adults across the entire state of Tennessee. Hired in early 2017, Keita was hired to administer the then newly formed MyRide Senior Volunteer Transportation Program in Madison County.

Keita successfully marketed, promoted, and built the program from the ground up and in the process created a replicable model that utilized best practices to provide a hands-on approach to senior transportation. In 2018, she was promoted to Grant Manager to administer the new Statewide Senior Volunteer Transportation Network grant received that was awarded to SWTDD from the Chancery Court of Davidson County. Since that time, Keita has traveled the State of Tennessee to build MyRide programs in various cities and counties. To date, eleven new programs have begun and 19 are scheduled to begin within the next 2 years.
The second Employee of the Year recipient is Nicole Guin, who always exhibits the qualities of a true professional. With a Masters in Social Work, Nicole’s skills are an integral part of SWTDD’s aging staff and more specifically, the Public Guardianship Program. She works diligently to ensure all of our court-appointed Guardianship clients are secure in their financial accounts and housing arrangements. She makes certain that each PG client is recognized on his or her birthday and at Christmas time. Her background and experience ensures smooth transitions for clients who are transitioning into long-term care and for those who are at the end of life. Nicole is a treasure to our Public Guardianship clients and, to the SWTDD staff, she is a supportive friend and consistent encourager.

“Southwest Tennessee Development District is an organization that relies heavily on our city and county governments, volunteers and partners to carry out the organization’s mission,” said Joe W. Barker, SWTDD Executive Director. “Our annual banquet and awards program provides us with an opportunity to publicly recognize those who are working to improve the economic climate and quality of life in the southwest Tennessee region. Although only a few received actual awards tonight there are many others who work hard every day in this region and we look forward to recognizing their contributions in the years to come.”
SWTDD provides services to individuals and governments in the counties of Chester, Decatur, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and McNairy. To learn more about SWTDD and its programs, visit www.swtdd.org or call 731.668.7112.

(PHOTO: Sam Bryant, center, is pictured with his father, Pete, and Nikki Cloar, after winning the SWTDD Small Business of the Year award)