Clarke County citizens looked quite dapper as they gathered together at First Baptist Church in Quitman on January 27 to enjoy the Annual Clarke County Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet.
Everyone mingled together in fellowship before going to their seats and enjoying the smooth sounds presented by the Quitman High School Jazz Band Ensemble and the beautiful singing of the Clarke County Distinguished Young Woman, Paisley Ivey.
While listening to great entertainment, everyone was able to enjoy a decadent meal catered by Skidmore’s Restaurant in Quitman. Excellent service was provided by the Enterprise High School Beta Club, Quitman High School Beta Club, Quitman High School FBLA, and Career and Technical Center Culinary Students.
Chamber President Greg Jackson emceed the event and was thrilled to introduce the guest speaker for the night: Allen Fore, Vice President of Public Affairs, Kinder Morgan.
Fore presented a PowerPoint presentation to the crowd and discussed the upcoming pipeline projects that will come through Clarke County and the economical impact it will have in the future. He discussed how pipelines are vital for transporting natural gas through the area and provided a timeline for when the project will most likely begin. See next week’s Tribune for more information about their plans and economic impact.
After the informative speech provided by Fore, it was time for the chamber to announce the Citizen of the Year and Business of the Year.
It was with great honor that Robert Hicks was declared as this year’s Citizen of the Year.
“This year, we wanted to recognize just one of those unsung heroes,” introduced Edward Kramer with the Chamber of Commerce. “The fellow that we chose to recognize as Citizen of the Year is 40 years old. He is a loving father, a loving husband, and is so active in his church that he’s often the first one there in the morning and the last one after the service. In his local volunteer fire department, he’s most likely the one showing up at 3:00 a.m. when another department is out of water and requests a tanker. It’s probably him coming in with that 2,500 gallon tank. He’s himself a prolific deer hunter, and I hear he has a reputation for that. He is one of those unsung heroes of this county. This is totally unplanned, but he also happens to be a Kinder Morgan employee, and this year we choose to recognize as Citizen of the Year, Mr. Robert Hicks.”
Hicks was honored to receive the award.
“Thank you,” expressed Hicks. “There are a lot of great people in this county. Actually, my daddy passed away last Tuesday, and I wish I could show him this. Thank you.”
Outreach Health Services was given the well-deserved award for Business of the Year.
“It’s with great enthusiasm and excitement that I get to introduce the Business of the Year,” declared retired Judge Tobey Bartee. “This business was very instrumental in helping a lot of people during the Covid epidemic. They did a lot of testing and gave out free tests, whereas in some places you had to pay. This business services Clarke County and Jasper County. This business has people come in as far as Alabama to get service. This business doesn’t just reside in one place. This business will come to you; you don’t have to go to them. They have multiple mobile units that can service you, whether it be dental or medical. The Business of the Year would be Outreach Health Services Incorporated."
They were thrilled to be honored with the award and look forward to continuing to provide excellent service in Clarke County.
“Thank you. I am deeply honored to accept this award on behalf of the entire team and Outreach Health Services,” proclaimed Outreach Health Services CEO Sabrina Howze. “This recognition is a testimony to our hard work and dedication of every single member from our frontline staff. Thank you to our dedicated management team. Thank you to our Board of Directors: Adam Fleming, Tobey Bartee, Cassandra Miller, and Ms. Cassidy. Thank you. We are proud to be a part of this community, and we are committed to continue to provide excellent service and to support the patients of Clarke County. Thank you.”
Jackson then announced all of the successful events they held in 2024 and expressed future plans and ideas for 2025. Before concluding the event, he announced the 2025 Board of Directors. Greg Jackson will be President, Melanie Hamrick will be 1st Vice President, Jim Potuk will be 2nd Vice President, Adam Fleming will be Treasurer, Lynnita Bartee will be Past President, and Leone Seely is the Secretary.
