Community Awards Presented at Annual Chamber Banquet

The Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce held their 2015 annual awards banquet on Thursday, April 9th at the Brownwood Coliseum.

Over 400 attendees were present to see this year’s award recipients for man and woman of the year, the lifetime of service award as well as many other recognitions.

Longtime businessman Robert Porter received the night’s highest honor, the Groner Pitts “Lifetime of Service” Award.

This year’s man of the year award went to Hank Hunter and woman of the year was Ann Beadel. (see full awards list below).

The banquet also showcased the “changing of the guard” for the Brownwood Chamber as Tim Espinoza of TexasBank stepped up as chairman of the board, taking over for Brownwood Regional Medical Center CEO Chip Camp.

The 2015 class of Leadership Brownwood was also recognized for the completion of this year’s course.

Groner Pitts “Lifetime of Service” Award—Robert Porter

Robert Porter was named the Groner Pitts “Lifetime of Service” Award winner this year. Porter is a 1966 graduate of Brownwood High School. He is one of the original members of the “Brownwood Mafia” who continue to promote Brownwood in many ways and recognize those who have a positive impact on the community. After graduating from Baylor in 1970, he served in the US Navy and served as an officer on the US Hancock in Vietnam. He started work at Porter Insurance Agency in 1975 and has devoted much time giving back to the community. He has served on many boards over the years including both Beadel Foundations, Citizens National Bank board, HPU’s Academy of Freedom, Ranger College, the Arts Council, Rotary Club and Legislative Affairs, Brownwood Reunion Celebration and many more. He also served on the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce board of directors as board president in 1984. His years of community service have had an impact on residents throughout the county.

Porter is pictured above with last year’s recipient Calvin Fryar

Man of the Year – Hank Hunter

Hank Hunter was born and raised in Brownwood, graduating from Brownwood High School in 1988, and earned a BS from Howard Payne in 1994 and an MBA from HPU in 2012. He has a long history of community involvement and currently serves on the boards for the Family Services Center, Latchkey, Boys & Girls Club, Lyric Theatre, and the Rufus Hardin Museum. Hank recently served as construction manager for the Rufus F. Hardin Museum completing the task of getting the old stone African American school into a preservable state. Through Hunters financial gift and volunteer supervision, Latchkey was able to repaint all classrooms and many rooms in the facility. Hunter helped establish the Coy Pullara “Unsung Hero” award for the ARK to memorialize his friend Coy. He also took on the job to extensively renovate the ARK’s family room. Hunter has served on the Lyric Theatre board since 2008 and worked on the facilities committee for the Lyric and chaired the reopening celebration held this past December. Hunter works at Ranger College teaching developmental math to help those aspiring to obtain a college degree to overcome the hurdle of being college math ready. In 2005, Hunter established Texas Clean, a commercial cleaning business with 16 employees. He has one son, Billy Jack and two grandsons, Carter & Billy Wade.

Pictured with Hunter is Rex Tackett, last year’s Man of the Year.

Woman of the Year – Ann Beadel

Ann Beadel is known as a person who is always willing to help—putting God and family first, and then the community, and self very last. She was appointed by Governor Ann Richards and served 4 terms on the Texas Board of Social Work Examiners. Beadel has given gallons of blood to the blood bank before her recent illnesses prevented her from doing so. She hopes and plans to do so again in the future. She has been a volunteer for the American Heart Association and was very active in promoting and helping with Jump Rope for Heart programs for children. Beadel was a charter member of the National Secretary for the American Coach Association national motor home group of motor home owners. She is also one of the founding members of the Pecan Valley Republican Women and has continually served on the board of directors and as an officer. She is currently vice president of the organization and is very active working for that group and the Republican Party. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Pecan Valley Domestic Violence Center, DBA the ARK and has been very active in all of their activities. She has worked with and for this organization since the early 1980s and in January 2015 she was the recipient of the founder Coy Pullara award. She is also a current active lay minister in the Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. She is an active officer and director of the state of Texas Holland Lop Rabbit Specialty Club and is active in breeding and showing the Holland Lop Rabbit throughout the state of Texas. One of her favorite sayings is “Faith in God will move mountains, but he expects us to get a pick and a shovel and help.” This is the way she lives her life.

Pictured with Beadel is Jodie Armstrong, last year’s Woman of the Year.