
KINGSPORT ‚¬The Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce honored longtime Kingsport resident, community leader and Kingsport Times-News Publisher and Northeast Tennessee Media Group President Keith Wilson with its prestigious 23rd Lifetime Member Award during its 65th Annual Dinner Friday night at the MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort & Convention Center.
It is with immense pride and great pleasure your Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce presents its most distinguished award to absolutely one of the greatest leaders our community has ever known ‚¬ Keith Wilson, said Olan Jones, 2011 Kingsport Chamber chair and president and CEO of Eastman Credit Union.‚ Keiths influence and leadership on so many successful Kingsport projects and endeavors ‚¬ most notably the Kingsport Academic Village and Educate and Grow, which was his idea ‚¬ will sustain this community for many years into our future.
Keith Wilson is the ultimate leader and this community holds him in such high regard and owes him so much for his incredible leadership, said Miles Burdine, Kingsport Chamber president and CEO.‚ Keiths unyielding commitment to education and the enormous and lasting impact hes had on our community will be felt for generations to come.
The Kingsport Chamber Lifetime Member Award goes to an individual who has made an enormous contribution to the Kingsport Chamber and the community throughout his or her lifetime.
With the award, Wilson receives complimentary membership to the Kingsport Chamber for life.
A native of Princeton, Ind., Wilson received his bachelors degree in political science from Indiana University in 1971.‚ Upon graduation, Wilson worked for his alma mater as the general manager of the Indiana Daily Student until 1979.
From 1980 to 1986, Wilson held various positions with newspapers in Indiana and Kentucky.
He moved to Kingsport in 1986 when he joined the Kingsport Times-News as advertising director.‚ He was named publisher in 1993 and was most recently named president of the Northeast Tennessee Media Group.
Wilson has been enormously influential in the community and has given an immense amount of his time, talents and leadership to a number of organizations.
He has served as chair or president for the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce; Kingsport Tomorrow Board of Directors; Kingsport Regional Education Association Steering Committee; Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association; Renewal! The Spirit Campaign; Northeast State Community College Foundation Executive Committee; and the Kingsport Chambers Communications program, Education program, Fun Fest program andLeadership Kingsport program.
He has also served as a board member for the Kingsport Youth Soccer Association and the Tennessee Press Association Foundation, among other organizations.
Wilson currently serves as the chair of theNETWORKS ‚¬ Sullivan Partnership, chair of the Tennessee Press Association Journalism Education Committee, and a member of the Kingsport Higher Education Advisory Board, Tennessee Press Association Personnel Committee and the Kingsport Economic Development Board.
Wilson and his wife, Pam, live in Kingsport and have three children and two grandsons.
Wilson has received several awards including being named a Junior Achievement Tri-Cities TN/VA Business Hall of Fame laureate, a recipient of the Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellors Award for Excellence in Philanthropy and the Downtown Kingsport Association Visionary Award.
For all his noteworthy accomplishments and community endeavors, Wilson is perhaps best known for his stellar commitment to education.
He created the idea for the highly successful Educate & Grow program and has been an ardent supporter for the Kingsport Academic Village.‚ The Regional Center for Applied Technology building is named for Wilson and for former Kingsport mayor Jeanette Blazier.
Keith Wilson is not only a great leader but just a great individual, Jones said.‚ He truly is greatly admired and enormously respected by all who know him.
Other Kingsport Chamber Lifetime Member recipients include Wallace Alley, William C. Bovender, John W. Andersen, Sam H. Anderson, Jr., E. B. Blankenbeckler, Jeanette D. Blazier, Frank B. Brewer, Frank Brogden, A.B. Coleman, John Douglas, C.B. Boots Duke, IV, Eleanor Eason, Rodney D. Irvin, Farris Jackson, J. Lane Latimer III, Dr. William W. Locke, Ken Maness, Ron McMasters, Bob Miller, Charles Edward Moore, Mike O. ONeilland Darrell Rice.
The Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit business organization comprised of nearly 1,000 members.‚ The Kingsport Chambers mission is to utilize resources and focus efforts on enhancing a strong and viable business environment for the Kingsport area.
For more information on the Kingsport Chamber, go to KingsportChamber.org or call (423) 392-8800.‚ Sign up for Kingsport Chamber text alerts at www.Kingsport.com.‚ Were social too; follow us on our Facebook page, Your Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, and on ourTwitter account, @kptchamber.