Published: January 19, 2007 10:32 am      

Chamber takes center stage

Awards presented at the 89th annual banquet

By Bob Belcher

Daily Sun



The torch was passed to new leadership Thursday as the Corsicana/Navarro County Chamber of Commerce held its 89th Annual Banquet at the Corsicana High School Commons. The banquet hosted a record turnout of 400, according to Chamber Executive Director Paul Hooper.

Dr. Linda Timmerman assumes the role of president of the organization, taking over the office from Dr. Richard Sanchez. Sanchez will remain on the chamber’s executive board as past-president for the next year.

“I feel I had an excellent team,” Sanchez said of his year at the helm of the chamber, a “re-building” year for the organization that Executive Director Paul Hooper took over at the 2006 banquet.

“My executive board was able to bring about the (chamber’s) transition to member services ... the full board of directors brought a tremendous amount of energy to the chamber,” Sanchez continued. “It was a blending of their skills that made it happen.”

Of Hooper’s first year as executive director, Sanchez said “He has performed exceedingly well. He came into a difficult situation ... I am indebted to Paul for his leadership of the chamber. He was the right person at the right time for the job.”

Sanchez presented three of the seven awards handed out Thursday. Receiving the President’s Award were chamber directors Becky Kinkade, Terry Fauble and Barbara Watkins.

Kinkade was honored for her “outstanding leadership in creating and coordinating the chamber business seminars,” Sanchez said. The two seminars Kinkade’s committee presented were designed to improve the workplace, and were both well attended by local business and industry.

Fauble was presented the President’s Award for his part in bringing the “Leadership Corsicana” educational series back to the chamber. The year-long series of seminars targeted at developing leadership skills and community involvement enjoyed a successful run in the 1990’s, and returned to the chamber this year after a 10 year absence.

Sanchez also recognized the efforts of Barbara Watkins as a chamber director with a President’s Award plaque. Watkins coordinated the chamber’s first-ever “Wine and Cheese Reception,” held in conjunction with the annual golf tournament.

Three other individuals received awards at the annual chamber gathering. Named recipient of the Arthur J. Keeney Award, given annually to a business or individual in recognition of industry recruitment or economic development, was local industry Corsicana Bedding. The firm, established in the 1960’s, now boasts a local payroll of some 200 employees and ships product nationwide.

Barbara Moe and Dorothy Vacek were both presented with the chamber’s Image Maker Award, established to recognize a chamber member consistently dedicated to the improvement and promotion of Corsicana and Navarro County.

Moe has long served on many boards and organizations, and worked “behind the scenes” in many industrial and economic development projects over the years. Vacek has been a leader and ambassador promoting tourism in Corsicana, and earlier this year was recipient of a tourism award presented by the East Texas Tourism Association for her efforts promoting Corsicana.

Fred Woody, CEO of Navarro Regional Hospital, spoke of the importance of a local hospital, and of Navarro Regional’s efforts to recruit new doctors and medical specialties to the county. Navarro Regional was the main sponsor of the chamber banquet.

Woody said talks were underway with Baylor Hospital to establish a rotating visit by medical specialists from the Baylor system to the hospital’s new medical clinic facility, now under construction.

Woody also talked about the economic impact the hospital has on the community, citing an annual payroll of $22 million, an annual property tax bill of $400,000 and over $30,000 in charitable contributions to the county.

“This hospital truly belongs to the community,” Woody said.

A final award of the evening came from incoming President Dr. Linda Timmerman, presented to Dr. Richard Sanchez for his leadership of the chamber this past year.

Timmerman said that his efforts and work as chairman “have helped the us become the chamber we need to be and want to be.”

Timmerman said chamber board members will be taking part in a retreat Friday, beginning the planning process for the chamber’s program of work in 2007.

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Bob Belcher may be reached via e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com



Wolens, Miller entertain chamber gathering Thursday



By Bob Belcher

Daily Sun



Those in attendance at Thursday’s Chamber of Commerce banquet may have been witness to a preview of Dallas Mayor Laura Miller’s next career after she leaves the Dallas City Council — a political comedy act with her husband, former State Rep. Steve Wolens.

The husband-and-wife team entertained the after-dinner crowd with numerous stories of their political lives, Wolens as a long-time state legislator, and Miller, who left a writing and reporting career to “enter the darkside and become a politician,” a remark that drew a large laugh from the audience.

Wolens, born in Dallas but raised in Corsicana, spent part of his podium time Thursday reflecting on his years growing up in Corsicana in the 1950’s and 1960’s, comparing that to present day times with the stark differences between the years.

“When I was growing up in Corsicana, I would ride my bike ... to Bowie School, and not have to lock it up,” Wolens recalled.

“Today, I would never dream of letting my kids ride their bike to school, and if they did ride their bike somewhere, there would definitely be a lock on it,” he observed.

“We had no lock on the garage door ... we had locks on the house door but we rarely locked them. In Dallas now, we have a fence ... burglar alarm ... police patrols ... and my 11-year-old son is learning sex education in school.”

Wolens spoke fondly of his years growing up in Corsicana, recalling past educators and memories of such businesses as Big 4 Shoe Store, P. Samuels, and of course, K. Wolens Department Store, where he “grew up” with the family business.

“Life is not the same ... I was raised being told who to look up to. Now we have to teach our kids who to look out for,” he remarked.

Miller, who had a meeting with Corsicana City Council members prior to the banquet, spoke of frequent trips to Corsicana over the past 20 years, and praised the many positive aspects of life in Corsicana, and of the attractions it offers.

“One thing we’ve learned in Dallas is to preserve our old buildings ... with your preservation of the Palace Theatre, you’ve done a great, great thing,” Miller said.

“And going wet was a very good idea,” Miller added.

Miller also had praise for the local hospital and medical facilities, and for Navarro College, noting their importance when seeking to attract new business and industries.

She also applauded Corsicana’s economic development efforts to attract what she called “Fortune 100 companies and white collar jobs,” to the area.

On the humorous side of their twin political lives, Wolens recalled the time he was asked by then-Governor George Bush to “carry a bill” in the Texas House, a task Wolens agreed to. As the bill made its way to Wolens’ own committee, he learned that a witness called to testify against the bill that Bush had asked him to promote was to be his own wife, Miller.

“Can you imagine being able to swear in your spouse to tell the whole truth in front of 3,400 witnesses?” Wolens exclaimed, much to the delight of the audience.

“There is never a dull moment in our household,” Miller added with a laugh.

“I’ve been to every ‘Class of 68’ reunion held the last 20 years,” Miller said of her husband’s fondness for his hometown. “You’ll be seeing a lot of us here,” she added of future plans the couple has when Miller leaves the political scene.

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Bob Belcher may be reached via e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com