Russell earns Wild Geese Award; Commerce Lexington bestows awards

▪ Geoffrey Russell, director of sales operations for Keeneland, has been honored with the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s 2016 Wild Geese Award.

The association’s chairman, Stephen Collins, said the award is an acknowledgment “to one of our own who has flown the Irish flag with pride on an international stage.”

Born in Dublin, Russell gained early experience at Coolmore Stud and as a bid spotter at Goffs. He came to the United States in 1982, first working at Fasig-Tipton and then at Elmendorf Farm. He returned to Fasig-Tipton as vice president of appraisals and director of sales administration, before joining Keeneland in 1996 as assistant director of sales to Rogers Beasley.

Russell represents Keeneland on the International Catalogue Standards Committee, International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee and is chairman of the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers. He also serves on the board of the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation and is a member of the Sales Integrity Task Force.

▪ Commerce Lexington recently recognized several community leaders and volunteers at its annual awards dinner. The award recipients follows were:

Ambassador of the Year Award: Todd Sallee, Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance

Volunteer of the Year Award: Billy Lanter, Unified Trust Co.

Public Policy Advocate of the Year Award: Advocates of the Lexington Convention Center Project: Lexington Center Corp. Board of Directors and VisitLEX

Leadership Lexington Distinguished Leader Award: Melissa Moore Murphy, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Law Department

Leadership Lexington Youth Program Distinguished Leader Award: Josephine Wendroth, Lafayette High School

▪ Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. has announced its inaugural class of 2016 Fellows, recognizing people who have made significant contributions to the advancement of excellence in science and engineering in Kentucky. Contributions made by the Fellows in the development and management of policies and programs and science, engineering, and/or technology-based entrepreneurial culture in Kentucky were considered deserving of recognition.

The Fellows:

Kim Anderson, Lexington, University of Kentucky

Blaine Ferrell, Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University

Jere Glover, Washington Small Business Technology Council

Paul Korkemaz, Dunn Loring, Va., Korkemaz Business Advisors

Charles Kupchella, Ebensburg, Penn., University of North Dakota president emeritus

Ben Malphrus, Morehead, Morehead State University

James Miller, Lexington, Transylvania University

Rick Shindell, Sequim, Wash., Zyn Systems

Mahendra Sunkara, Louisville, University of Louisville

Robert Twiggs, Morehead, Morehead State University

Stacy Wilson, Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University

▪ Realtor Gloria Reed of Weichert, Realtors-Towne and Country, Lexington, has been awarded the Accredited Buyer’s Representation designation by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council of the National Association of Realtors.

Reed earned the designation after completing a course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, in addition to submitting documentation verifying her professional experience. She joins more than 24,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the designation.

▪ AMR team member Emily Lane, program and brand manager for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, an AMR client partner, has earned the American Society of Association Executive’s Certified Association Executive credential. The program is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance and designate association professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging environment.

▪ Lexmark’s CX825 Series has been named a Better Buys Innovative Product for 2017 in the color multi-function printer category. The series was selected as an Innovative Product of the Year from among 2016 Better Buys Editor’s Choice Award winners, following an evaluation based on a range of criteria, including features, value to the customer and price.

Compiled by Dorothea Wingo

This story was originally published February 5, 2017 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Russell earns Wild Geese Award; Commerce Lexington bestows awards."