Mayor Suzie Razmus awarded Leader of the Year

In 2011, Leadership Tri-County presented Nelda Barton-Collings with its Leader of the Year Award.

During a ceremony Tuesday evening, Barton-Collings daughter, Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus, followed in her mother’s footsteps accepting the 2023 Leader of the Year Award from Leadership Tri-County.

Razmus gave an empowering speech after being awarded the Leader of the Year Award.

“I am truly honored to have been chosen for the Leadership Tri-County’s Leader of the Year… I am so grateful for the examples and expectations that were set for me,” Razmus said. “And then there was my mom. She was truly amazing and special. I continue to try to make her proud of me every day.”

Razmus was born and raised in Corbin, and became civically active in her hometown. She is currently in her second term as Corbin’s first female mayor, which is worth celebrating.

Past recipients of the Leader of the Year award have included: Barton-Collings, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, Terry Forcht, Gene Huff, Michael Colegrove, Eugene Siler Jr., a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley, and John Bill Keck.

On Tuesday, May 23, Leadership Tri-County hosted its annual banquet at The Corbin Center, celebrating and honoring the great people in the area and serving delicious food in the process.

Also, during Tuesday’s ceremony, Luminary Awards were presented to the families of Donna Butt Moore and Bill Nighbert, cherished and loved individuals who have passed away.

Moore was Senator Mitch McConnell’s field assistant and a Soul’s Harbor Church member.

“My Aunty Donna was the one who did all the things… One of the things she knew the most was love. Thank you for recognizing all the amazing things my Aunt did,” Moore’s niece said.

Nighbert was a former Mayor of Williamsburg and a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary.

Both families of the Luminary Award recipients attended, leaving the room full of loving memories and appreciation for the time spent with them.

In addition during the ceremony, scholarships were awarded to three individuals in the area.

The Sandi Curd Leadership Scholarship was presented to Alexandra Freeman of Corbin High School. The Tom Handy Leadership Scholarship was presented to Matthew Sanders of North Laurel High School. The Denise Wainscott Leadership Scholarship was presented to Taylor Payne of Knox Central High School.

Leadership Tri-County is a non-profit organization established in 1987 as an educational program designed to identify potential, emerging, and current leaders from Knox, Laurel, and Whitley counties to nurture their continued development into the leaders our area needs now and in the future. Leadership Tri-County’s mission is identifying and developing leadership resources in the area to create a better and more unified Southeastern Kentucky through trust, respect, commitment, and service.