Wagner attends Main Street America’s community transformation workshop

CHICAGO — Julie Wagner, executive director for Harrodsburg First Main Street Program completed the Community Transformation Workshop in Chicago, Nov. 15-17, as part of the Main Street Institute.

The workshop covered areas such as calculating a community’s lost revenue created from a vacant storefront; seeking appropriate data and calculating the economic impact of upper story housing and how to adopt the new Main Street America’s Transformation Strategy approach to downtown revitalization.

“I am looking forward to putting what I learned into action,” says Wagner. “There is so much potential to revitalize downtown Harrodsburg and I have been given some relevant and innovative tools to elevate our economic development efforts”, Wagner added.

Wagner, who completed state accreditation in the early 2000’s is working toward receiving National Accreditation, which would make her Kentucky’s only Nationally Certified Main Street Manager. 

Jody Lassiter earns state economic development award

Jody Lassiter, CEO and president of the Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership, was given a 2017 Outstanding Service Award from the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED) during the organization’s fall conference Nov. 8-9.

Lassiter qualified for the award by “earning points through (his) continuing education efforts and involvement in organizations promoting the economic development professionals,” according to a news release from KAED.

“The purpose of this initiative is to stimulate among KAED members collective commitment to the continuous improvement of economic development professionals statewide and to encourage participation in KAED endeavors,” according to the release. “This award recognizes those members who have participated in KAED activities, tracked their participation and achieved a minimum of 20 points.”

Lassiter was one of three given the award this year. Libby Adams, executive director of the Shelby County Industrial & Develop Foundation; and Brad Snowden, economic development project manager for LG&E and Kentucky Utilities, were the other recipients.

Thomas Hager named President of WealthSouth

Thomas Hager has been named President of WealthSouth, a division of Farmers National Bank of Danville. WealthSouth provides families and businesses with financial planning, trust, investment, and retirement plan services to meet the needs of its clients.

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Hager was most recently the Executive Vice President of Growth Markets for WealthSouth. He served the previous six years as the Director of Strategic Planning & Product Development and Director of Sales & Service, both for Farmers National Bank.

A native of Harrodsburg, Hager is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and is also a graduate (with honors) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Graduate School of Banking. He is a member of the board of directors of Ephraim McDowell Health, board chair of the Ephraim McDowell Health Care Foundation, and treasurer and past president of the Mercer Area Family Education & Wellness Center (formerly YMCA).

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center nurse recognized for extraordinary service

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (EMRMC) is pleased to recognize and honor one of its nurses for her extraordinary patient care. Kayce Spalding, RN, a nurse in the OrthoSpineCenter, was one of many nurses nominated for the DAISY Award. A resident of Marion County, Kayce has been caring for patients at EMRMC for nearly two years. 

She was nominated by a coworker. The coworker said, “Kayce is by every example one awesome, compassionate nurse. I have worked in the OrthoSpineCenter for almost three years and I have never seen someone give so much of their self to her patients, unit and coworkers. Her smile and attitude are contagious. She is willing to go above and beyond every day she works. I have seen her go without breaks multiple times to ensure her patients are happy and safe. She not only takes care of her patients, but also their family members. If I had to choose one nurse in the world to work beside, it would be Kayce.”

Ephraim McDowell is proud to recognize nurses with the DAISY Award, a national program that honors the compassionate care and clinical excellence that nurses bring to their patients every day. Nomination forms for the DAISY Award are available at various locations throughout EMRMC and Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital. 

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center nurse recognized for extraordinary service

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (EMRMC) is pleased to recognize and honor one of its nurses for her extraordinary patient care. Vickie Woford, RN, a nurse in the Labor and Delivery Unit, was one of many nurses nominated for the DAISY Award. A resident of Mercer County, Vickie has been caring for patients at EMRMC for nearly 39 years. 

She was nominated by a patient. The patient said, “She made me feel comfortable and relaxed during my delivery.  Her expertise came through in her actions and she is now a part of our family. I cried when her shift ended and was thankful when she checked in on us even though we weren’t on her list the next day. I could tell she had been in her occupation for a while, she was relaxed, knowledgeable and went through the labor steps with ease. However, I felt like I was the only person in the world, like I was her first patient due to the encouragement and support she gave.  She’s truly a special person and I’m thankful she was our labor nurse. When I think of the first moment I met our baby, I will remember the wonderful atmosphere Vickie created and how her compassion made such a difference.”

Ephraim McDowell is proud to recognize nurses with the DAISY Award, a national program that honors the compassionate care and clinical excellence that nurses bring to their patients every day. Nomination forms for the DAISY Award are available at various locations throughout EMRMC and Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital.