Partnership banquet honors county leaders

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and the Franklin County Economic Development Authority held the second annual Partnership Awards banquet Thursday in Russellville.
The two groups formed the partnership banquet as a way to honor the people and businesses of the county, officials said.
"This event goes a long way with our county's image and what it means to work together," said Glen Vinson, chairman of the Franklin County Economic Development Authority.
Steve Sewell, Executive Vice-President of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, spoke about the state's image change over the past 20 years that has allowed Alabama to attract major industries from around the world.
"Economic development has had a great impact on our state and our state's image," Sewell said.
The partnership awards banquet was established to honor Franklin County's businesses, people and attractions that help the county's overall growth and development.
The following individuals and businesses were named award winners for 2008-2009:
Distinguished service award
Beautification Award
Business of the Year
Unsung Hero Award
Volunteer of the Year
Industry of the Year
Excellence in Growth Award
Franklin County's Best Kept Secret Award
Robert I. Rogers Award
The development authority honored Dotson for his years of work volunteering to assist the county in many ways, including his time spent in working to recruit new businesses.