MDC hosted its inaugural Community Champion Awards on December 2, honoring five local people who are making Knoxville a safer, healthier place to live.
Board president Chief David Rausch opened the ceremony, introducing Mayor Madeline Rogero to speak about the importance of prevention in Knoxville.
“Prevention matters. It’s something we all benefit from and something we can all contribute to,” Rogero said. “But prevention only works when we all come together with a common goal, as all of you have done here in Knoxville.”
This year’s award recipients were:
- Coalition Member of the Year: Kim Pouncey, TopShelf Responsible Beverage Service
- Commitment To Service: Sheri Smith, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
- Innovations In Prevention: Magistrate Dirk Weddington, Knox County Juvenile Court
- Media Advocacy: Kent Stephens, WIVK-FM
- Recovery Services: Dr. Suzanne Bailey, Cherokee Health Systems
You can view more photos from this year’s event in our Photo Gallery.