CORRECTED (see below)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
Police Chief Michael Lamb and seven other community leaders will be honored as “People of Action” at the Rotary Club of Asheville’s inaugural “Heroes Hoorah Gala” at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Embassy Suites Downtown Asheville.
Lamb is being recognized in the Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution category for work toward improving communication between police and residents, businesses and non-profit organizations, the Rotary Club said in a press release.
In other categories, as described by the Rotary Club, the honorees are:
* Basic Education and Literacy, Victoria Roberts, board president for Read to Succeed, an organization that works to close the race-based opportunity gap through literacy programs. She also is associate director of data and evaluation for United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, and is credited with spending countless hours helping Read to Succeed grow.
* Disease Prevention and Treatment, Dr. Joel Callahan of UNC Health Pardee Hospital, for work combatting Alzheimer’s Disease and the treatment of strokes. According to the release, he personally administered the state’s first dose of Lecanemab, a newly-approved medication for Alzheimer’s.
* Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Renee Fortner, water resources manager for RiverLink, for work including development of a central Asheville Watershed Assessment and for leading a stormwater project near the Asheville Housing Authority’s Erskine Apartments.
* Maternal and Child Health, Trish Hickling Beckman, a certified nurse midwife and co-owner of Asheville Women’s Wellness and Education Center, for helping to deliver thousands of babies and for offering education, support and counseling to expecting mothers.
* Economic and Community Development, Matthew Bacoate Jr., for multiple efforts strengthening and diversifying the business community, including enlisting investors to start AFRAM, Asheville’s first Black-owned and operated manufacturing company, and for advocacy for small business that that resulted in the establishment of the North Carolina Small Business Advocacy Council.
* Supporting the Environment, Ken Brame and Judy Mattox of the Sierra Club, for leading environmental efforts to protect wild places and endangered species, keeping the air and water clean, promoting clean energy and working to address climate change.
In the release, Rotary Club of Asheville President Pat Snyder said the honorees “have created lasting, positive change in our community” that is aligned with Rotary International’s focus areas.
More information and tickets to the event can be found at:
http://rotaryasheville.betterworld.org/events/heroes-hoorah
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled the name of longtime local business leader Matthew Bacoate Jr.