CGRTA holds annual Region Strong Awards Banquet

Published 10:58 am Thursday, May 22, 2025

By Jay Compton

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The Cumberland Gap Regional Tourism Association held their annual Region Strong Awards Banquet on Tuesday evening at the Olde Church Events Center in Cumberland Gap.

Each year the CGRTA board of directors recognizes individuals, businesses, organizations and other groups from the 10-county region who they feel have gone above and beyond to better their community and are firm supporters of tourism and tourism development.

CGRTA Director Carl Nichols hosted the awards ceremony. He explained the process of selecting the winners.

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“Our mission is to make the Cumberland Gap Region a ‘vacation destination.’ Through the efforts of our awards winners each year we are one step closer to achieving our goal,” he said. “We appreciate our award winners for helping to make the Cumberland Gap Region more attractive to tourists who will visit, shop, stay and play in our beautiful Tri-State area. We feel that strong communities build strong counties and strong counties build a strong Cumberland Gap Region.”

This year’s banquet was sponsored by the Realty Group of New Tazewell, The Olde Church Event Center of Cumberland Gap, the New Tazewell City Council, Whitt’s Place in Tazewell, the Town of Pennington Gap, Hearthside Bank and Angelo’s in the Gap.

There was a wonderful dinner featuring southern style pot roast, grilled chicken, roasted potatoes and carrots, squash casserole and grilled portobello mushrooms prepared by Carla Reece with desserts provided by The Dutch Treat.

Historical interpreters from the Lakeway Civil War Preservation Association and the General Longstreet Museum won on hand with a traveling exhibit of Civil War artifacts and museum director Michael Beck gave a presentation about the museum, which is located in Russellville, Tennessee.

CGRTA President Nita Louthan and Vice-President Christina McGrath Partin opened the awards program and introduced Nichols, who served as emcee.

He was surprised right off the bat as board member Dorothy Suford, the Tazewell events coordinator, brought Robyn Canter from Brave Boxing up to present Nichols with the gym’s Fighter of the Year Award.

The other awards handed out included:

The Cindi Rogers Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Grainger County’s Ken Coffey by his daughter Jill Coffey Kelley.

The Bill McGaffee Memorial Region Strong Award was presented to Michael Beck by Linda McGaffee.

The $1,000 Judy Barton Memorial Tourism Scholarship was presented to Bell County senior Meredith Allen by Louthan and Partin. Allen also gave the same speech on tourism’s impact on her community that was selected as the regional winner by the CGRTA board.

A Bell County Region Strong Award was accepted by Mona Dotson on behalf of Johnna Calebs with Main Street Pineville.

A Bell County Region Strong Award was presented to Bill Partin and Terry Partin with Cruisin the Crater by Kristin Byers.

The Campbell County Region Strong Award was presented to Manuel Mesa by Reba Ramsey.

The Claiborne County Region Strong Award was presented to Bruce Caylor and Billy Cupp with the Tazewell Speedway by Dorothy Shuford.

The Town of Cumberland Gap Region Strong Award was presented to Mayor Neal Pucciarelli by his daughter Lisa Kersey.

The Grainger County Region Strong Award was presented to Charlie Pratt by Rick Diamond.

The Hancock County Region Strong Award was presented to Janet Collins by Nita Louthan.

The Harlan County Region Strong Award was presented to Ron Frazier with the Harlan County Chamber of Commerce by Kelly Cunningham.

The Knox County Region Strong Award was accepted by Dorothy Shuford on behalf of the Knox Drive-In Theater.

The Easter Lee County Region Strong Award was accepted by Karen Maggard on behalf of Tammy Jo Franklin.

The Western Lee County Region Strong Award was presented to Leon and Lena Graber from the Dutch Treat by Doug Fitts.

The Whitley County Region Strong Award was accepted by Casey McClure on behalf of Maggie Monhollen from the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

The Change A Life Region Strong Award was presented to Jeannie Redmond and Crater of Hope by Christina McGrath Partin.

The Presidential Award was presented to Dorothy Shuford by Carl Nichols.

A Region Strong Service Award was presented to Christina McGrath Partin by Carl Nichols.

A Region Strong Service Award was presented to Nita Louthan by Carl Nichols.

The Carla Reece Volunteer Service Region Strong Award was presented to Friends of the Wilderness Road State Park, park director Casey McClure and his wife Liz, by Carla Reece.

Ken Coffey closed out the awards by presenting Reece and Nichols with what he called the first annual “Yellow Doke-Moon Pie Good Samaritan Award”

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