Citizen of the Year for 2024 was awarded to Jimmy Courtney, a detective with Hope Police who also serves as a member of the Hope School Board and is president of the Kiwanis Club. He was introduced by 2023 Citizen of the Year Sharon Caldwell who also described Courtney’s support of Hope High School athletics. “You will find him in the bleachers supporting the Hope Bobcats or in the concession stand as an athletic booster club president,” she said.
As he accepted the award, Courtney said, “I am definitely not a speaker. I’m a talker … I thank God for the strength to do all the stuff I do and my wife for putting up with me, because I’m on the go, especially for all the kids of Hope. I was wondering why she had me miss my son’s baseball game … Thank you very much.”
A few minutes earlier, the Young Leadership Award was presented by Ashlea Stewart representing Hope Public Schools to Carter Wilcox for raising the funds to allow for children in families with lower incomes to come home from Scholastic Book Fairs with one book. Third grader Wilcox said, “I started so the other kids will have the chance to experience as much joy as I have at Scholastics Book Fairs.” He also thanked those who supported his efforts.
Then the award for Nonprofit of the Year was presented by the 2023 winner of this award, Hope ConneXion represented by Amy Perry, the organization’s director. The award for 2024 went to United Way of Hempstead County which, in Perry’s words, “embodies the true spirit of the community service and dedication to the betterment of society.” She continued, “This nonprofit organization has been the cornerstone of support and compassion in our community for countless years with their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of those in need. They have become a beacon of hope, a source of strength, and a catalyst for change.”
In her acceptance speech for the award, United Way director Gina Perkins said, “I look around today, and I see a roomful of United Way volunteers, United Way donors and United Way board members and it's amazing to see the impact that we have here in Hempstead County. And the growth that we're experiencing these last few years has been amazing. I just want to thank everybody who is involved in United Way for your contributions, your volunteerism and the time spent serving, especially our agencies who are the real prize. I can't list them all at the spur of the moment, and I don't want to leave anybody out, but thank you to our agencies who are on the front lines doing all the work in Hempstead County taking care of people in need. Thank you.”
Dr. Jonathan Crossley, Superintendent of Hope Public Schools, in the stead of 2023 Educator of the Year Karen Townsend, introduced the 2024 Educator of the Year Mikki Curtis, who Crossley praised for work to improve the lives of students in Hempstead County and from elsewhere, not sparing her own personal time to do so. Before taking her current position as Dean of Secondary Programs, she helped establish the Hope Collegiate Academy, a means for students still in high school to earn college credit, even to the point of earning certificates and associate’s degrees.
“She has cried with our students, shed tears with our students, prayed for her students, and helped them out in just about every single way that you can imagine,” Crossley said.
In her acceptance speech, Curtis said, “It’s been an honor. I know that education is a calling, and I know the Lord Jesus called me into education. My main goal is to be a light to these kids, to show them the Lord's love in any way that I can, but also to see them be successful. And so I hope that I can continue to be that for the students in this community.” She also thanked her family and the students she has worked with.
In his introduction to 2024’s Business of the Year Award winner, Steve Lance, owner of 2023’s Business of the Year Lance & Associates Real Estate, said that in his speech last year he had forgotten some thank yous, including to God, to his wife Cindy, to those who prayed and supported the family during her illness, to Jim Ralph who “finished his career with me,” to Trenace McGinnis-Stewart, an agent with the company and several community leaders including Emily Gunter, George Frazier, Tony Yocom, Randal Wright and to Judy Murphy-Micco who Lance said “gave me a chance as an agent in 1996.”
He also thanked Rusty Burke and Diamond Bank for helping him start Lance and Associates as well as his friend Dr. Jim Powell and Jim’s daughter Lindsay Powell Townsend, current Executive Broker and Office Manager at Lance & Associates.
Lance began to describe the 2024 Business of the Year, Martin’s, which began as a shoe store in 1959. He said, “I hope that you can agree that this recognition to them is long overdue. This company, this family is about good. It can be said of them that they're faithful to God, have high morals, integrity, honesty, good character, faithful to family, higher standard of ethics, dedicated to employees, customer service, sound in business practice, entrepreneurs.” He said Martin’s has also been generous supporters of The Call, the Hope Animal Shelter, Hope Public Schools, Clothes Closets, and helped with Huck Plyler’s sending of care packages to military members.
To much applause, current manager of Martin’s, Alan Martin, came to the podium. He began with the story of his grandfather first broaching the subject of starting a shoe store in Hope with his wife. “I think her response was something like, ‘Are you nuts? There are already four shoe stores in downtown Hope. Why do we need a fifth shoe store?’ They opened it up. And there were some rough years in there,” Martin said. But gradually Martin’s began to build the customer relationships that led it to excel and to offer the multi-faceted shopping experience it does today. Alan Martin said it was also faith and family that helped keep the company over it’s 65-year history.
Earlier in the evening, which was hosted by Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Christy Burns and Chamber Board President Maurice Henry, the Chamber’s 2024 Board of Directors were recognized, as were the 2024 Chamber Ambassadors and this year’s Leadership Hope-Hempstead County class.
Keynote Speaker Larry Bell, Jr. of Monroe, Louisiana gave a speech motivating the audience based on the many meanings of the term hope. Bell is principal agent and owner of Bell Insurance Group & Associates and a graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge as well as the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Roundtable, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina and a winner of numerous community service awards.
In a video presentation, it was announced that country artist Rodney Atkins, native of Knoxville, Tennessee will be the headliner for the Hope Watermelon Festival’s Saturday concert August 10th. The theme of “Home-grown happiness” and the logo for this year’s t-shirts was also shown.
The meal of Salisbury Steak and mushroom gravy was catered by Sheba's.
Arnetta Bradford sang and Bitsy Carter played Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" to close out the night.
Above: Carter Wilcox, 2024 Young Leadership Award.
(Photos by Ethan Houk and April Lovette)