Awards

Nominations for tourism awards will be solicited beginning in Spring 2012

Award Categories & Descriptions

Paul Broun Award for Marketing Initiatives recognizes the entity that demonstrates an effective and unique marketing initiative.   Given in memory of Senator Paul Broun of Athens who was a huge supporter of tourism.  He was elected in 1963 and served many years in service to Georgia.   He served as Chairman of the Economic Development, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Committee.  He played a vital role in the development and appropriations of tourism funding.

• 2011 Recipient – Columbus CVB – “Meet me in Columbus, GA” film
• 2010 Recipient – The Magnolia Highway, Melanie Grace, Americus Convention & Visitors Bureau
• 2009 Recipient – Georgia’s Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage
• 2008 Recipient – Elizabeth Harvill- Vidalia CVB
• 2005 Recipient – Macon CVB
• 2004 Recipient – Andrew Ward – Cuscowilla Resort
• 2003 Recipient – Mark Valentine – Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in Commerce, President of the Northeast Georgia Mountains Travel Association.
• 2000 Recipient – Judy Renfroe – Cobb CVB
• 1999 Recipient – Robert King and Jay Bucek

Larry Allen Tourism Leadership Award recognizes an individual who demonstrates excellence in leadership skills and abilities.  Given in memory of Larry Allen, who was General Manager of Stone Mountain and exemplified all around friendship, support and leadership in the tourism industry.

• 2011 Recipient – Theresa Jenkins, Marietta Visitors Center
• 2010 Recipient – Joe Marinelli, Visit Savannah
• 2009 Recipient – Lisa Smith, Rome CVB
• 2008 Recipient – Peter Bowden, Columbus CVB
• 2005 Recipient – Chuck Jones, Athens CVB
• 2004 Recipient – Steven Longcrier – Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails, Inc.
• 2003 Recipient – Dan Rowe, Banyan Tree Consulting Group
• 2000 Recipient – Lt. Gen. E. G. Shuler, Jr.

Al Burris Award for Creative Expression recognizes an individual or entity that develops a creative community public relations initiative.  Representative Al Burris of Marietta was the majority leader and a huge Tourism advocate. He was instrumental in using his creativity and energy to get the Tourism Division its first major appropriation in 1985 of $2.5 million which was a drastic increase from the $300,000 allocated in prior years.

• 2011 Recipient – Ath-Fest and the UGA New Media Institute – the Ath-Fest I-Phone App
• 2010 Recipient – Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau – Key to Successful Meetings Campaign
• 2009 Recipient – Macon CVB – Macon Rocks! USB Guitar Flash Drive
• 2008 Recipient – Marietta CVB- Hip to be Square
• 2005 Recipient – Augusta Metropolitan CVB – Played Augusta Campaign
• 2004 Recipient – Janice Marshall – Macon CVB
• 2003 Recipient – Bill Marshall – Trenton Downtown Development Authority.
• 2002 Recipent – Peggy Miller, Macon CVB
• 2000 Recipient – Margaret Strong
• 1999 Recipient – JoAnne Lewis

Tom Kilgore Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding lifetime commitment towards tourism.  Named for Tom Kilgore, Legislator from Douglasville, who was an early advocate and champion of tourism.  Tom was one of the architects of the Hotel/Motel Tax legislation.

Lifetime Achievement Award

• 2011 Recipient – Jeannie Buttrum, Classic South Regional Representative
• 2010 Recipient – Sabra McCullar, Warm Springs Tourism
• 2009 Recipient – Bill Hardman, Jr., Southeast Tourism Society
• 2008 Recipient – Spurgeon Richardson- Atlanta CVB
• 2004 Recipient – Earlene Crews – Kingsland Tourism Authority
• 2003 Recipient – Louis Griffith -  Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau

GACVB – Tom Kilgore Award

• 2010 Recipient – Marguerite Copelan, Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
• 2008 Recipient – Judy Renfroe- formerly of the Cobb CVB
• 2007 Recipient – Brenda Price – GACVB, Columbus CVB

Tourism Champions: This award category created in 2003 acknowledges the support and guidance given to the Tourism Division of GDEcD in support of the entire Tourism Industry. There are four (4) main categories under the Tourism Champion umbrella in which recognition is awarded to individuals and organizations that have taken leadership roles in developing tourism opportunities in communities across the state.

Tourism Champion Private Sector Award is given to an individual within the private sector who has worked tirelessly to spread the message and garner support for Georgia Tourism. The first recipient of this award  was Phil Jacobs, President, Georgia BellSouth.  As founder of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s tourism committee, Jacobs has long been a proponent of the state’s tourism industry as a viable, promising tool for economic development

• 2011 Recipient – Rodney Musselman
• 2010 Recipient – Larry Halpern, Positive Energy
• 2009 Recipient – Sean McGinnis/Emmis Publishing
• 2008 Recipient – Trent Mercer- Streeter Printing
• 2005 Recipient – Spurge Richardson – Atlanta CVB
• 2004 Recipient – Paul Wood
• 2003 Recipient – Phil Jacobs – BellSouth

Tourism Champion Partnership Award is given to an alliance that collaborates to increase visitation and tourism expenditures in Georgia. The first recipient of this award was Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) which partnered successfully with GDEcD and provided the official state maps for distribution at Georgia’s Visitor Information Centers.

• 2011 Recipient – Luckie-Marietta District, Atlanta
• 2010 Recipient – Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter
• 2009 Recipient – Georgia Department of Transportation “Discovery, Education, and Heritage Tourism of the Old Federal Road in Georgia
• 2008 Recipient – Clarks Hill Partnership of Georgia – Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, Warren and Wilkes Counties
• 2005 Recipient – Mike Beatty and Jim Finch, Department of Community Affairs
• 2004 Recipient – Lonice Barrett and Paul Nelson, Department of Natural Resources
• 2003 – The Georgia Department of Transportation

Tourism Champion Product Development Award is given to a partner agency or individual for outstanding work in attracting capital investments for tourism projects.

The first award recognized Nancy Cobb, OneGeorgia Authority, which leveraged the state’s tobacco settlement funds to attract capital investments for tourism projects in the state’s rural areas.

• 2011 Recipient – Augusta Canal
• 2010 Recipient – Flat Creek Lodge
• 2009 Recipient – Martin Harmon – Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation
• 2008 Recipient – The Welcome Center of Forsyth/Monroe County
• 2004 Recipient – Sabra McCullar – Warm Springs Tourism
• 2003 Recipient – Nancy Cobb – OneGeorgia Authority

Tourism Champion in Government Award is given to an individual for extraordinary support in tourism by an elected official.  The first year, co-awards were presented to Rep. Ron Stephens and Rep. Mickey Channell. Both are active on several legislative committees central to the development of the state’s tourism industry, and Channell currently serves as chair of the House Tourism and Sports Marketing Study Committee.

• 2011 Recipient – Rep. Lynn Smith
• 2010 Recipient – Rep. Ben Harbin
• 2009 Recipient – Rep. Larry O’Neal
• 2008 Recipient – Rep. Ron Stephens
• 2004 Recipients – Sen. Jeff Mullis and Rep. Butch Parrish
• 2003 Recipients – Rep. Mickey Channel and Rep. Ron Stephens