LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 31, 2017) – Porter G. Peeples of the Urban League of Lexington, Luther Deaton of Central Bank, President John Roush of Centre College, Marian Guinn formerly of God’s Pantry, and Billy Van Pelt of the American Farmland Trust are among the honorees at Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Vision Awards Breakfast Tuesday at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort in Lexington.
The annual Vision Awards Breakfast is a time-honored tradition paying tribute to the best of the
18-county Bluegrass Region each year, related to improving quality of life and place, Bluegrass Tomorrow’s mission.
The two highest awards that Bluegrass Tomorrow bestows: the Bluegrass Legacy Award was presented to Luther Deaton for his over 20 years of service to Bluegrass Tomorrow and the Bluegrass Region; and the Josephine Abercrombie Award, presented to P.G. Peeples for his long-time work with the Urban League, since 1972, in job training, housing, education, human rights, and advocacy.
Billy Van Pelt was presented the Robert N. Clay Award for outstanding service to the region and Bluegrass Tomorrow. Van Pelt was the founding CEO of Woodford Forward and was the director of the LFUCG Purchase of Development Rights farmland preservation program for over 10 years where he worked to conserve 27,571 acres of our world renowned rural landscape.
Other Vision Award Winners include: Education—President John Roush, Centre College;
Environment—Craig Williams, Kentucky Environmental Foundation;
Human Services—Marian Guinn God’s Pantry and YMCA Black Achievers;
Equine Agriculture—Meg Jewett Walnut Hall Farm;
Preservation—Perryville Battlefield;
Young Professionals Entrepreneurship—Country Boy Brewing.
President John Roush of Centre College was honored with the Vision Award for Education as he leaves the co-chair position of the Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium of which he was a founding member and his 19 years of excellence at Centre achieving “previously unimagined success.”
There are two Vision Awards in Humans Services this year: Marian Guinn, formerly of God’s Pantry and the University of Kentucky Hospital, a tireless champion for feeding those in need in our Bluegrass region; and the YMCA Black Achievers Program, one of the best college and career awareness programs in central Kentucky.
Craig Williams of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation wins the Environment Vision Award for his over 30 years of unheralded work to ensure the safe disposal of chemical weapons at the Bluegrass Army Depot and around the world.
The Equine Agriculture Vision Award was presented to Meg Jewett owner of Walnut Hall Ltd, and gift store LV Harness, and known for her tireless and unheralded efforts on behalf of unwanted horses with her Equine Friends Program and helped in the founding of the Kentucky Equine Humane Center.
The Perryville State Historic Site wins the Preservation Vision Award with the preservation of 70 more acres at the battlefield site and now a total of 1,027 total acres preserved, the site of Kentucky’s largest and bloodiest Civil War battle.
And Country Boy Brewing, and its partners Jeff Beagle, Daniel D.H. Harrison, and brothers Nathan and Evan Coppage, takes home the Vision Award for Entrepreneurship for their successful craft beers and microbrewery business and promoting the Bluegrass Tomorrow philosophy of “developing an environment in the region where creative talent, young professionals, diversity and entrepreneurship will thrive.”
For more information www.bluegrasstomorrow.org.
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