MEDIA RELEASE

 

October 14, 2016

For information, contact Leslie Neeley at (270) 687-8557 or neeleylk@owensboro.org

KLC TO PRESENT TWO AWARDS TO CITY OF OWENSBORO

 

At the Tuesday, October 18^th commission meeting, Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) President and Sadieville Mayor Calude Christensen and Senior Marketing Manager Terri Johnson will present two awards to the City of Owensboro:

 

• 2016 City Employee of the Year: City Manager Bill Parrish
• 2016 Enterprise Cities Award: Owensboro, Hopkinsville, and Paducah

KLC announced its annual awards during its conference on October 5^th and will be visiting each winner for a formal presentation.  

"Our awards are an ongoing way KLC can recognize the great work officials and employees are doing, year after year, in our Kentucky cities," said Jonathan Steiner, KLC executive director/CEO.  

The City Employee of the Year Award brings recognition to an exceptional city employee who performs at a distinguished level to improve his or her local government and community.  Owensboro City Manager Bill Parrish was deemed the winner by a panel of impartial judges.  Parrish oversaw Owensboro's incredible, massive reinvention in recent years including the city's riverfront reconstruction.  In the last ten years, Owensboro has benefitted from $33 million in federal stimulus, $200 million in projects and $1 billion in local investment.  Parrish also kept his eye on city services by implementing citizen-centered programs such as a 911 agreement with the county, neighborhood redevelopment, crime prevention and trolley programs.  Parrish has been with the city for 15 years, and is a retired Lt. Colonel in the United States Marine Corps.

 

Enterprise Cities Awards recognize city projects or programs making a true impact on their communities.  Winners include the cities of Hopkinsville, Owensboro and Paducah. The City of Owensboro won for its outstanding and strategic use and promotion of Public Private Partnerships which helped the city achieve its remarkable transformation in recent years.  Tax increment financing (TIF) investments topped more than $525 million.  The city worked with private investors to bring the International Bluegrass Music Museum (scheduled for completion in 2018).  The public school system and the local tennis association built a state-of-the-art tennis facility, and the city has attracted high-profile events including an air show that attracts 50,000 in attendance.  The city continues to attract business and development with its ongoing efforts to build partnerships and position Owensboro as a place to go for success.  

 

For more information about KLC, please visit www.klc.org.

 

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For more information about the City of Owensboro, visit us on the web at www.owensboro.org.

 

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