This Thursday is the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce 2018 BUSINESS AT ITS BEST LUNCHEON. It will be at 11:30 Thursday morning, February 1, 2018 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.
Congratulations to this year's honorees: The Business Legend is Bill Jones, Business Person is John Black, and winner of Leadership Rutherford's Pinnacle Award is Teb Batey.
2017 BUSINESS LEGEND BILL JONES
Jones has been involved with Destination Rutherford since 2003, and has chaired the economic development initiative since 2007. He is chairman of the Rutherford County Industrial Development Board and Christy-Houston Foundation. He serves as director for the Middle Tennessee State University Jones College of Business and previously served on the board of directors for the Chamber and Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital.
In 2012, he was named the Middle Tennessee Medical Center Foundation's Philanthropist of the Year. He and wife Kathy were honored in in 2012 with the MTSU Jones College of Business Exemplar Award and in 2013 with YMCA of Rutherford County's Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Jones is a graduate of MTSU, Southern Trust School at Birmingham-Southern University, and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He and Kathy have two children, Alison and Sutton.
2017 BUSINESS PERSON JOHN BLACK
John Black is executive director of the Smyrna / Rutherford County Airport Authority. During his 26-year tenure, the Airport Authority has invested over $127 million dollars into the airport and twice garnered the Airport of the Year Award for the State of Tennessee. Black is a recipient of the coveted Airport Manager of the Year award for the Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region.
He is the immediate past president of the Smyrna Rotary Club, has served as an aerospace adjunct faculty member in MTSU's graduate studies program since 2001, and serves on the board of directors for TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center. He is the past president of Arnold Community Council, and previously served on the Chamber's board of directors. He is a graduate of Leadership Middle Tennessee and Leadership Rutherford, which honored him with the Pinnacle Award in 2015.
Black earned a bachelor's degree in aviation management and master's degree in aerospace from Middle Tennessee State University. He and wife Libby have two children, Chelsea and Austin, both MTSU graduates.
2017 PINNACLE AWARD TEB BATEY
Teb Batey has served as Rutherford County Trustee since 2006. During this time, he and his team have worked to improve efficiencies in order to increase rates of return and significantly reduce the cost of banking services. In addition, he expanded the trustee's office to a second location in Smyrna and streamlined payment options.
After selling B&B Awards and Engraving, a partnership he started as a high school junior, Batey pursued a business administration degree from David Lipscomb University. After graduation, he returned to the family business, Batey's Office Supply and Photo, to work full time and complete a Master of Business Administration degree from MTSU.
Batey is a lifelong Rutherford County resident and 2015 Leadership Rutherford graduate, and has served on many civic and professional boards during his tenure in county government. He was a founding board member of the Tennessee Association of Property Tax Professionals and was chaplain for the County Officials Association of Tennessee. In 2014, he was recognized as Tennessee Outstanding Trustee of the Year.
A minister for the Milton Church of Christ since 1989, Batey serves on the board for Barnabas Vision and Journeys in Community Living. He has a love of farming and was named the Tennessee Cattleman's Association's Beef Producer of the Year in 1988. He and wife Kari live in the Milton Community with their son Houston and daughters Kate and Taylor. The Bateys were forever touched by the love of friends, family, and their great community when they lost their son Paul in 2014.
