Jill Wilson of Gray Construction named a top woman in PR; Bluegrass Tomorrow Vision Award recipients named
▪ Jill Wilson, vice president of communications and marketing for Gray Construction, has been named one of the Top Women in PR by PR News. This group of honorees is comprised of the most influential women in public relations who have made bold advances in brand messaging, protecting and building brand reputations, creating content for digital platforms and managing crises. Wilson, who has been with Gray for more than 29 years, is the company’s first woman vice president.
▪ Bluegrass Tomorrow paid tribute recently to the best of the 18-county Bluegrass Region at its annual Vision Awards breakfast. The following awards were given related to improving quality of life and place, which is Bluegrass Tomorrow’s mission.
The two highest awards that Bluegrass Tomorrow bestows are the Bluegrass Legacy Award, presented to Luther Deaton for his more than 20 years of service to Bluegrass Tomorrow and the Bluegrass region; and the Josephine Abercrombie Award, presented to P.G. Peeples for his work with the Urban League since 1972.
Billy Van Pelt received the Robert N. Clay Award for outstanding service to the region and Bluegrass Tomorrow. Van Pelt was the founding CEO of Woodford Forward and the director of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Purchase of Development Rights farmland preservation program for more than 10 years, where he worked to conserve 27,571 acres of rural landscape.
Other award winners include:
Education — John Roush, Centre College president
Environment — Craig Williams, Kentucky Environmental Foundation
Human Services — Marian Guinn, God’s Pantry and YMCA Black Achievers
Equine Agriculture — Meg Jewett, Walnut Hall Farm
Preservation — Perryville Battlefield
Young Professionals Entrepreneurship — Country Boy Brewing
For more information, go to Bluegrasstomorrow.org.
▪ Asbury University has been named Business of the Year by the Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce. The award is given annually to a business that exemplifies business success and community involvement.
“Asbury personifies the criteria used to receive this award,” said Ronda May, who served as chamber president in 2016. “They have been and continue to be an avid supporter of the Jessamine community, not only by the countless hours their students give in volunteerism, but also as leader in education and outreach services to those in need. We are blessed to have Asbury University located in our community.”
Compiled by Dorothea Wingo
This story was originally published February 12, 2017 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Jill Wilson of Gray Construction named a top woman in PR; Bluegrass Tomorrow Vision Award recipients named."