Annual Banquet 2008

October 16, 2008

A certified public accountant who became a city employee one year ago and spent 16-hour days identifying the financial problems facing the city of Keene, was named Citizen of the Year at the 15th annual Keene Chamber of Commerce banquet Thursday night at the Committee of 100 Cafeteria at Southwestern Adventist University.

City Accountant Bill Guinn was honored for his work in helping the City Council to have accurate financial data and other information for financial decisions.

DeeAnna Bogusch and Steve Bradley were recognized as Educators of the Year.
Huguley Medical Associates, which operates the new Keene clinic of Dr. Luis Retamozo, received the Community Improvement Award.
The Adventist Community Services Disaster Response Depot received the Community Service Award for its work with hurricane victims in Texas and Louisiana.
Longtime Keene resident Loneta Pauly received the Pioneer Award, which is presented to an organization or individual whose long-ago contributions and influence helped make Keene what it is today.
Shawn and Teresa Reid, owners of Reid’s Car Care, received the Young Entrepreneur Award.
Phillip Sparks received the Helping Hands Award, given this year for the first time, and Justin woods received the Keene Chamber Hall of Fame Award.

Christian comedian Aaron Wilburn, who is also an award-winning Southern Gospel songwriter and singer, kept the sold-out crowd of 260 people laughing with his stories of down-home humor and the foibles of everyday life.

This is the 13th year for the Chamber to recognize a “Citizen of the Year,” with Guinn being the 15th recipient.

Past honorees include: the late V.O. Schneider in 1996; Jessie Small in 1997; Bugger Putnam in 1998; Gary Heinrich and Wayne Tomblinson in 1999; Phil Hooten and the late Sam Capps in 2000; Ray Nichols in 2001; Keene Adventist Church youth pastor Russ Laughlin in 2002; Keene City Administrator James Minor in 2003; former SWAU librarian and current Keene City Councilman Robert Cooper in 2004; and, in 2005, Sharan Boelter, owner of Custom Insurance Services.

In 2006, the award was presented to Yddo Ortiz.

Last year, Tim Sinclair, founder and organizer of the Keene Christmas Light Parade, received the honor.

Guinn, a certified public accountant who was business manager for Brandom Manufacturing Co. before it relocated to Hillsboro, spent hours and hours researching the city’s financial records to accurately identify expenditures that had been assigned to the wrong account and to be able to more accurately predict revenues and expenses.

Based on Guinn’s work, the City Council adjusted water/sewer rates and the tax rate to make sure that revenue covers expenses in the 2008-2009 budget.

The Educator of the Year is one who “demonstrates excellence in the classroom and goes the extra mile by being involved in the lives of students outside the classroom,” according to the criteria of the award.

The Chamber honors one teacher from the public school and one from the private schools.

The award was first presented in 2001 when the honorees were Cheri Harrison, physical education teacher at Keene elementary and intermediate schools, and Bill Kilgore, associate professor of religion at SWAU.

In 2002, Mary Guinn was honored for the public school and Marlene Gilleroth for the private schools.

In 2003, the honorees were Charlotte Larkin for the private schools, and Harley Larkin for the public school.

In 2004, the honor went to Delmon Tucker at the public school and Tyke Connell for the private schools.

In 2005, public school honorees were elementary school computer teacher Jimmie Rogers and District Superintendent Wanda Smith. Cheryl The (pronounced tay) was honored for the private schools.

In 2006, Linda Ramsey was honored for the public school and Dale Anderson for the private schools.

Last year, four educators were honored: Pat Sisk and Duane York from the public school, and Ann Valdez and Dr. Art Chadwick of the private schools.

Bogusch is in her 21st year at Keene Elementary School. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she and her husband, Henry, have been married 43 years. They have two grown sons and two granddaughters.

Bogusch was accompanied by KISD Superintendent Kevin Sellers, Keene High School Principal Sandy Denning and a large contingent of her colleagues.

Bradley has taught physical education at Keene Adventist Elementary School for four years. He started the intramural and gymnastic team there, and goes beyond his assigned responsibilities by driving the school bus on field trips and performing maintenance and repair work at the school, KAES Principal Donna Berkner said.

Bradley was accompanied by his wife, Jan, parents, Ron and Carol Bradley and Berkner.

Loneta Pauly is the 11th recipient of the 10-year-old Pioneer Award that recognizes “an individual or organization whose long-ago contribution and influence helped make Keene what it is today.”

Previous honorees were Ben Putnam in 1999, Ola George in 2000, Morris Lowry in 2001, Dolly Spells-Chastain and Dick Kimbrow in 2002, William “Buck” Alexander in 2003, James Bothe in 2004, Dale Hollis in 2005 and, in 2006, Ray Turner.

Last year, lonetime resident Lillian Davis, also an educator, won the award.

Mrs. Pauly taught in Keene public schools for almost 20 years in the white frame building that will be destroyed as part of the district’s expansion and renovation.

Her late husband, Albert, served as superintendent and principal. The library at Keene Junior High School is named in his honor.

After retiring from teaching, Mrs. Pauly volunteered in the front office at Chisholm Trail Academy. Later, she used her intellicet and creativity to develop a series of Bible-based board games. The games are published by the Review & Herald Publishing Company and available in Christian book stores nationwide.

Joe and Shery Watts, directors of the Adventist Community Services Disaster Response Depot in Keene, accepted the Community Service Award.

The organization has provided 18-wheel trucks loaded with clothes and other supplies to victims of natural disasters, most recently the people of Louisiana and Texas left homeless by Hurricane Ike.

Previous Community Service Award winners were: the Keene Volunteer Fire-Rescue Department, longtime educator Jerry Becker, and the Keene Police Department in 1998; Elisa Carver and John and Billie Griswell in 1999; Fred Alexander, Tyke Connell, and June Hollis in 2000; Keene Kares and Dr. Brady Rusk in 2001; Lillian Davis in 2002; Yddo Ortiz, Frank and Jean Peterson and Joyce Shaw in 2003; Bugger Putnam and Yddo Ortiz in 2004; Mary Ann Hadley in 2005, and, in 2006, the Keene Adventist Church for organizing the Resurrection Pageant.

Last year, Dale Hainey, director of the physical plant at SWAU, won the award.

The “Community Improvement Award” honors businesses for contributing to the beautification of the city through new buildings and/or well manicured grounds and landscaping, thus presenting a positive image and improving the quality of life in Keene.

Seven businesses were honored in 1999, the first year the award was given. They were the First State Bank of Keene, Keene Pharmacy, Harvest Market, Zitro International, Inc., SWAU, Keene ISD, and the Texas Adventist Book Center.

In 2000, the Hopps Museum and Welcome Center and the Keene Cemetery Association were honored.

In 2001, Karmy Construction, Hadley Excavation, and Liquid Stone Concrete received the award for its combined work on the 84-car parking lot at the Keene Adventist Church.

In 2002 the Chamber honored one of the award’s first recipients, SWAU, and its plant services director, Robby Psencik, for the improved landscaping on campus.

In 2003, the honoree was the Park Board for their work in completing Elisa Carver Park.

In 2004, the honorees were Chisholm Trail Retirement Community and SWAU.

In 2005, the award was presented to the Keene Broadband Technological Committee for providing high-speed WiFi (wireless) communication in Keene.

In 2006, the award was presented to SWAU in recognition of the new Pechero Hall and the demolition of the old Brandom buildings.

Last year — Read-Billingsley Real Estate, Sonic Drive-In and Wash Depot won the award.

The Huguley Medical Associates family practice clinic opened on June 12 at 213 Hillcrest. It is staffed by Dr. Luis Retamozo, a board certified familyl practitioner, who provides initial, continuing and comprehensive care for families and individuals of all ages and both sexes.

The Young Entrepreneur Award, new in 2006, is presented to a young business person who has made a commitment to Keene.

Mandy Smith of Mandy’s Coffee and Bistro and Justin Woods of Woods Media won the first Young Entrepreneur Award.

Last year, the award was presented to Dave Tucker of Dave the Camera Guy.

This year’s winners, Shawn and Teresa Reid, purchsed Laursen’s Car Care, changed the brand to Shell and installed pay-at-the-pump for the first time in Keene.

Shawn is a gradute of CTA and Teresa is a native of Joshua.

Phillip Sparks was honored with the first Helping Hands Award, which honors an individua who provides continued assistance without seeking compensation or recognition.

Sparks helps set up equipment for Keene Youth Sports Association softball games, soccer games, the Fourth of July Parade, STARfest and many other events in Keene.

Justin Woods received the Keene Chamber Hall of Fame Award, recognizing his three years of service to the Keene Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

Aaron Wilburn is a seasoned singer and an award-winning Southern Gospel songwriter whose career spans more than 25 years.

In 1999 he performed his first big show as a humorist, at Oral Roberts University for promoter Frank Arnold. Today, he’s in demand in a variety of settings: corporate, church and conferences, chambers of commerce and as a part of the Gaither Homecoming Tour.

He was the Keene Chamber banquet guest in 2001, introducing his then-new song “Four Days Late,” which he wrote. It was recorded by Karen Peck and went immediately to the top of the Singing News charts. It was named 2001 Song of the Year by Singing News readers.

In April 2007, Aaron became the first non-Adventist in the 112-year history of Union College in Lincoln, Neb., to be the guest at Saturday night entertainment during Homecoming Weekend. Union is a sister institution to Southwestern Adventist University.

Aaron’s observations range wide, and while his humor is often pointed, his jokes always reflect the values he holds most dear.

“If I can’t tell it in church, or tell it to my kids,” he says, “I won’t tell it at all.” That leaves plenty of room for his warm and winning humor:

In his more than 25 years of writing and performing Christian music, Wilburn has earned a shelf full of awards, for hit songs like “Four Days Late,” and “What A Beautiful Day (For The Lord To Come Again),” by the Happy Goodman Family, which stayed at No. 1 for 13 months, and was named 1975’s Song of The Year. His music has been recorded by some of the all-time greats of Gospel, from the Shirley Caesar, to The Mighty Clouds of Joy, to the Gaither Vocal Band.

One of the most popular songs recorded by former Southwestern Adventist University graduates Marvin Ponder and Herman Harp of Ponder Harp and Jennings is “It’s beginning to rain,” written by Wilburn.

Aaron’s 150-night-a-year schedule takes him on the road for at least part of every week. Luckily, his son Jim, 28, a commercial-rated pilot, gets him home to spend time with his wife Roberta, and his two younger children, son Tyler, 12 and daughter Emily Brooke, 8.

The Keene Chamber of Commerce officers and board members for 2008-09 are: Paul Gnadt, president; Jorge Velez, vice president; Sarah Layton, treasurer; Gwen Beeson, secretary; Jere Putnam II, membership, and board members, Glen Ball, Samantha Gillin, David Phillips and Phil Robertson.