At the 52nd Annual Celebration of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives (KCCE) last week, a new award to honor a chamber Volunteer of the Year was awarded. The 2017 Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Steve Rinehart with the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce. His tireless work with workforce, the Teacher’s Academy and service on the chamber board highlighted his extensive application. As noted by KCCE Executive Director Amy Cloud, “We are honored to showcase volunteers because we know that no chamber executive is successful without dedicated volunteers.”

Paula Fowler, executive director for the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce, submitted the application, who noted that Rinehart’s nomination was one of many received. Judged by professionals outside Kentucky, Rinehart’s nomination stood out among all.

Fowler noted in the nomination that Rinehart is administrative manager for Denyo Manufacturing Corp. — but this man is so much more to our community. He is active throughout the business world locally and regionally in a variety of ways.  After serving as board chairman of the chamber for two terms, he then stepped up to chair and launch the chamber’s Workforce Development Committee in 2007 and has been the driving force, leading a strong committee, in all that has been accomplished for our business community in this area.  Under his leadership, a Teachers Academy, now in its 10th year, has been created and involves educators from seven different counties and 11 different schools. Other efforts of the committee have included Work Ready certification and successive recertification for Boyle County in 2012 and 2014, a Magical Manufacturing Mystery Tour on National Manufacturing Day for the past two years bringing school leadership (from multiple schools and districts) on a half-day tour to learn what modern manufacturing looks like and to share workforce needs with our schools, and speaking in our schools teaching classes on what students need to be successful in the workplace.  And these are just a few of the highlights of all this committee has done.

Also, Rinehart has participated in two collaborative chamber and Area Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) workshops for the larger region’s workforce in a regional effort with Chambers and ASAP groups from six counties, Central Kentucky Society of Human Resource Managers, Boyle County Community Education, among many others. Rhinehart, as chairman of the local CKSHRM, also organized, with the Heart of Kentucky United Way, a Bridges Out of Poverty workshop to introduce a broader perspective for understanding poverty and the impacts of systemic poverty on the ability of individuals to effectively compete for and retain meaningful employment.  

Rhinehart serves as a member of the advisory committee for the Danville Campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College and as a member of the Board of Directors of the BCTC Foundation and helped bring the Advanced Manufacturing Technician program to the campus and community. He has worked with local industries in three counties to also recruit incumbent workers into the program, as well as going into area high schools to recruit students.  

Most recently, he was part of a team that successfully sought part of the Governor’s $100 million to build a new Advanced Manufacturing Center onto the Danville campus. He shared information on the program and its need for the region to industries and community leaders which led to exceeding the required 10-percent match by 3 percent.  He is now working as a member of the BC&TC Foundation to raise more money to close the gap between the state’s funding of  $2,736,000 and the final construction cost.

The Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce also won, in its size category, for outstanding e-newsletter based on layout, appeal and good mix of content. 

Notes Fowler, “Former EDP Communications Director Kasey Hill worked to develop our current e-newsletter, which is now created weekly by administrative assistant Treina Miller. This is a tribute to their work.”