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During the Tullahoma Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual membership celebration, eight awards were presented to members who showed exemplary service during 2022, through community work and participation.

Five awards were granted to individuals, based on their community and chamber participation, and three were presented to business owners and leaders, for the work their business did to make the community better.

The first award presented to an individual was the President’s Award, which was delivered by outgoing chamber president Elizabeth Banks to James Fuller, a member of the 2022 chamber board of directors.

“Thanks to his vision and devotion to the project, running events are made possible for the chamber each year,” Banks said. “The chamber’s 5k Wobble Gobble, Run the Greenway 5k and our newest Mistletoe Mile are events that are entertaining, and the impacts continue long after the race. These are signature events that we can look forward to and depend on, and that is all thanks to James Fuller.”

She went on to share that Fuller is a Tullahoma native, previously working at Woodard’s Diamonds & Design, with 20 years of experience as a personal banker. Fuller is the Coffee County Market President for SmartBank, and he has been married for 17 years to his wife, Mandy.

“Anything that I’ve done is with the people I surround myself with,” Fuller said. “The board members, the committee members and people that step up: none of it would be possible without you.”

Nancy Fuller, a member of the 2022 TACC executive board, presented the Rising Star award to Kaycee Edwards, a member of the 2022 TACC board of directors and UTSI representative.

“She has served as an ambassador since January 2021,” Fuller began. “She gives her all in all the committees that she serves on, spending hours making balloon arches for chamber events. According to her boss, I quote, ‘she is the glue that holds us all together.’ She is helpful on any committee. When decorating for an event, she’s like Mary Poppins-meets-Pinterest with the solutions she offers.”

Edwards was previously selected as a Citizen of the Month and a nominee for the 2022 UT President’s Award in the area of United and Connected. She was additionally a 40 Under 40 recipient.

TACC assistant executive director and membership director Tisha Fritz took the stage to acknowledge and thank the efforts of the 2022 ambassadors, who include: Ava Lynch, Billy Philpot, Carol Fulmer, Carrie Brown, Christina Marin, Chris Barstad, Davis McCord, Don Wheeler, Dot Watson, Dylan Dudley, Emily Raths, Hank Jordan, Jenny Comstock, Jessica Lawton, Joanna Reynolds, Kaycee Edwards, Kelly Lapczynski, Kristin Breyette, Meghan Nelson, Nancy Fuller, Pam Carver, Phil Hensley, Rachel Ferrell and Scarlett Carpenter.

“They step up, ready to help where they can, supporting our mission and vision of economic growth while showcasing the area as a desirable place to live, work and visit,” she said. “We keep them busy! Busy with as many networking and community events that we can pack into the schedule. Our Ambassador of the Year has done all of this and more.”

Fritz shared that the chosen ambassador has participated in almost every chamber event for over a decade, “pitching in on the jobs that few care to take on.”

“Time after time, you’ll see her driving up with a truckload of trash bins and a smile, ready to get the dirty work done,” she said. “She’ll give a laugh and say her job is marketing trash.”

Carol Fulmer, regional administrator for Interstate Solid Waste Authority, does public speaking and core subject lessons on recycling and waste reduction in the schools and for any size group or organization within the ISWA region, which includes Franklin, Lincoln, Bedford and Moore counties and the city of Tullahoma.

“Thank you very much,” Fulmer said. “Everyone remember: recycle!”

TACC executive director Hope Nunley presented the Board Member of the Year award to 2022 TACC board of directors member Allen Potter.

“It’s a tough task narrowing it down to only one board member tonight,” she said. “When looking back at 2022, we quickly identified one board member that was new but jumped in to help wherever they could.”

Potter was a 2022 40 Under 40 honoree and holds a master’s in engineering from Middle Tennessee State University.

“This was my first year as a board member,” he said. “I was really just looking to get involved in the community and realized what all these ladies do. It’s really amazing. We’re a part of a fantastic community, and I’m just proud to be a part of it.”

TACC Executive Director Hope Nunley returned to the mic to present the final award of the night, the Citizen of the Year award, to Nancy Fuller, a member of TACC’s 2022 executive board.

Nominations for this award were received from members of the TACC throughout the year, seeking an individual who made a visible impact on the Tullahoma community over time, according to Nunley.

“We seek a person who sets the pace and an example for our fellow leaders and community members, creating a path paved with kindness, hard work and consistent effort over time,” she said. “This person we are honoring tonight has been all of this and more to Tullahoma and our chamber.”

Fuller has been married to her husband for 45 years and raised a daughter. She spent over 20 years in the American Legion and an additional 20 years at Traders Bank.

“She is never off the clock, and in everything she does, she gives 110 percent,” said Nunley. “At the chamber, we’ve been blessed by her leadership.”

Fuller will serve as the TACC president in 2024. Since joining the TACC, she has participated in every single chamber event.

“I’m very honored to receive this award, and I appreciate all of you,” Fuller said. “All I can do is say ‘thank you so much.’”

All award recipients were presented with a physical award in the form of a glass placard.