EDITORIAL: Aiken's best are honored
One of the toughest decisions made each year are the recipients of Aiken's woman, man and youth of the year. The decision isn't hard because there are so few viable candidates, but because in this community there are so many who can be seen as deserving of the honors.
The Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce recognized a new group of honorees at its annual banquet last week. Also honored were the small business, large business and Chamber ambassador of the year. This year again added outstanding names to those who have been honored in the past.
We commend the Chamber for its wise selections and congratulate those who were honored for their continuing efforts to make Aiken a better place to live, work and raise families.
Those honored were:
Beverly Clyburn - Woman of the Year: Mrs. Clyburn has served the community as an educator and as a longtime member of Aiken City Council. She has pushed hard for renewal efforts on Aiken's Northside while on Council and has been a staunch supporter of efforts to improve housing in that part of the city. She has been a leader in a variety of civic organizations - chair of the board of the local office of DSS, board member of the Cumbee Center, Nancy Moore Thurmond Chapter of the Boys and Girls Club, Aiken Diabetes Board, Aiken Chapter of the American Cancer Society, United Way of Aiken County and Aiken Chapter of Links - reaching virtually every corner of Aiken.
Tim Simmons - Man of the Year: Mr. Simmons has shown how one can and should take his business success out into the community. Chairman and CEO of Security Federal Bank, he has used his position to collaborate with organizations in the community to make it a better place. Mr. Simmons' belief in education as a path to bettering the future of our young can be seen in his membership on the USC Aiken Partnership Board, the Aiken County Commission for Technical Education and the Aiken County Commission for Higher Education. He has also been instrumental in the rebuilding of the railroad depot at Park Avenue and Union Street, a project that will be open within a few months.
Briana Rice - Youth of the Year: Miss Rice is president of the student body at Aiken High School, an accomplished musician with the school's band and a high achieving student ranked third in her class. She will graduate in the spring with an International Baccalaureate diploma. In addition to excelling in the classroom and with her instruments, she has helped lead her school in helping others in the community. She organized a toy drive for DSS in the fall and spearheaded a campaign for Golden Harvest Food Bank in January. For her "dependability, service, leadership and patriotism" she was honored with her school's DAR Good Citizen Award.
Carriage Hills Living Center - Small Business of the Year: The skilled nursing facility on Aiken's Southside meets community needs beyond the walls of its facility. Carriage Hills sponsors numerous events in the community and encourages community involvement in events held on site. Carriage Hills has been ranked in the top 10 percent of places to receive care by families and residents in the past three years under the leadership of Robby Bowles.
UPS Supply Chain Solutions - Large Business of the Year: What started in modest fashion with 44 employees less than a decade ago now employs 500 workers. Under the leadership of Jim Anderson the local UPS facility puts customers first and has a can-do attitude which permeates the work force. Community involvement is also critical for UPS as the company encourages volunteerism and has held successful employee campaigns for United Way which have put tens of thousands of dollars into local projects to help needy citizens of Aiken County. UPS also takes part in blood drives, safety fairs, the Heart Walk, Walk for Life and Project Vision for United Way.
Anna Bridges - Ambassador of the Year: The project manager for Vista Bank, Ms. Bridges has worked tirelessly to serve the members of the Aiken Chamber. She has promoted to members the value of Chamber membership and volunteered for a number of Chamber functions.