Roane County Executive Ron Woody given 2020 Muddy Boot Award

Roane County Executive Ron Woody was one of three recipients of the 2020 Muddy Boot Award. The award is handed out by the East Tennessee Economic Council.

“That's a big honor to receive that Muddy Boot Award,” Woody said. “A lot of great leaders throughout the years have received it.”

The Muddy Boot Award has been around for years. Some of the past recipients include former congressman Zach Wamp, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and Roane County's own Jim Henry.

“A couple of years ago I was fortunate enough to introduce a Muddy Boot recipient,” Woody said. “It was Jim Henry. It's always good to be in a class with Jim Henry.”

Woody is chair of the Energy Communities Alliance and has traveled to a lot of different DOE sites around the country.

“I was excited,” Woody said about the Muddy Boot Award. “I was surprised, honored and I told them I've been blessed and fortunate enough to be able to contribute a little bit to the DOE (Department of Energy) activities because I got a good staff back at the office and they're keeping things rolling and running back home.”

Woody is in his third term as county executive. He was elected to his first term as county executive in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 and 2018.

“Ron is committed to the growth of the entire region and has been instrumental in the TN Riverline Project,” Explore Oak Ridge Director Katy Watt was quoted in the ETEC press release about the award. “He is determined to preserve the history of the area and promote the progressiveness of the companies that inhabit the area.”

ORNL Director Dr. Thomas Zacharia and ETEC Board Chair Dr. Eric Abelquist were the other recipients of this year's Muddy Boot Award.

“The Muddy Boot Award was created in the 1970s to honor individuals who have gone above the call of duty – like those who served the nation during the Manhattan Project – to make the community, the state of Tennessee and the nation a better place to live and work,” the ETEC press release about the award states.

Source: Roane County News, by Damon Lawrence

The East Tennessee Economic Development Agency markets and recruits business for the 15 counties in the greater Knoxville-Oak Ridge region of East Tennessee. Visit www.eteda.org

 

Published December 23, 2020