03 Nov 2014 Morrilton chamber recognizes award winners

The Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce presented its annual awards Monday night during its 2014 recognition banquet at Sacred Heart Catholic School.

The Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Bruce Hawkins, who has been a tremendous asset to the community for more than 35 years. He has helped individuals and companies with employment and worked for children within the school district. “Bruce has gone above and beyond in his commitment as a citizen of Conway County,” said chamber membership and events director Cody Hill.

The Youth Citizen of the Year Award was given to Ciera Newsome, a senior at Morrilton High School where she is currently on the honor roll and has been a “straight-A” student since kindergarten. She is involved in numerous clubs and organizations at MHS and in the community and loves to volunteer whenever she’s needed. Ciera is a daughter of Jeff and Mary Newsome.

The Educator of the Year is Kori Kimes from Nemo Vista School. Kimes teaches high school agricultural classes and is the sponsor of the Future Farmers of America. “He goes above and beyond to make sure the students have everything they need and to make sure they have the best opportunity to learn valuable real-life skills.”

The Educational Project of the Year is a co-winner which includes the “Puppies to Dogs” and “Leader in Me” projects. Both of these programs are encompassed by the South Conway County School District.

The Community Project of the Year is the Harvest of Hope Food Drive in part with the Conway County Care Center. The food drive is a collaborative effort of more than 300 entities working to serve more than 2,000 households to ensure that no one in Conway County goes hungry.

The Business Site of the Year is Action Shredding and Recycling workshop, which provides adults with disabilities an opportunity to be a part of the local workforce while providing a beneficial service to the community.