Sapaugh receives Citizen of the Year award

Hopkins County native Don Sapaugh was honored Thursday night as the 2023 Citizen of the Year during Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce’s 97th Annual Membership Banquet.

The award was one of at least a dozen presented to some of Hopkins County’s best, who last year and in some cases over the course of several years or even a lifetime, have been exceptional community contributors, partners, businesses and contributors.

The banquet was themed “Sweethearts Dinner,” an opportunity to show love to each other and those special volunteers and contributors who make Hopkins County the caring, sharing community it is.

Those attending were served a meal prepared by Wright Catering, with alcoholic bevereages available from Phinessee’ Farms Winery and Backstory Brewery. Music during the meal was provided by Calvin Hickerson.

Citizen of the Year

The annual banquet culminates each year in the presentation of the Citizen of the Year Award, presented traditionally by the previous year’s recipient or, in this case, co-recipients Dr. David and Pam Black. The 2023 Citizen of the Year award went to Hopkins County native Don Sapaugh.

“He has served in his community in many capabilities and positions from high school and on. He oversees a large company here in town in the community and volunteers in the community on a constant basis,” Dr. Black noted. “The best way to describe him is he’s a man of his word. When he says he’ll do it, he does it. When he volunteers, he follows through. When help is needed, he is always there to answer the call, most of the time before he is called.”

Sapaugh was only away from Sulphur Springs briefly, leaving to attend college, but returned not too much later. In 1998, he was hired at City National Bank. After 23 years, he worked his way up to serve as president and CEO of City National Bank, an institution celebrating its 135th anniversary this year.

Sapaugh has served on numerous boards over the years, including Hopkins County United Way, Relay for Life, Hopkins County Health Care Foundation, and Sulphur Springs ISD Education Foundation and Board of Trustees, and is a member of Sulphur Springs Lions Club.

“He goes out of his way to speak to customers when they come in. He’s always looking for a way to fix a problem, and he’s always there for it. And he does that with un-due pressure all the time. He’s an auctioneer. He’s a prankster. He’s a Halloween costume model. He’s a Christmas elf and multiple times over the years, he’s a Hopkins County Stew Contest winner,” Dr. Black noted.

When a close friend who also always cooks at the Hopkins County Stew Contest too, was not able to do so, the friend’s kids decided to fill in. When he learned that the friend’s kids were having trouble lighting the fire for their stew pot in the wet weather, Sapaugh appeared and got it started and going for them.

“I’m sure the little gal that he helped, he influenced her just like he influences people on a daily basis, all the time, and he never looks for any kind of recognition or anything like that. That’s the type of character, that’s the type of person that you are looking for as your 2023 Citizen of the Year,” Dr. Black noted, just prior to Pam Black proudly announcing Sapaugh as the recipient.

“I am very honored. I can tell they reduced the qualifications,” Sapaugh said jestingly. “Thank you. I love this town. We got to move back here in 1998. It was a lot of fun. I got to move off for a while. My first job, James VanWinkle back here, actually gave me my first job.”

He credits his parents with teaching him about service. He thanked his wife, Jill, for standing by him even when doing so meant she spent a lot of nights at home while they were out trying to serve the community. He thanked the great group at the bank he works with all day, some who make his job easy and others who make it harder complaining of things for him to “fix.”

“I got to come back home. That was special. I would say my dad, he would be proud right now,” Sapaugh said, noting his dad’s way of challenging him to strive for better. “I got to work for the Land Bank system coming up thanks to James [VanWinkle’s] dad. I go to work for City National Bank under Lee Teetes; he taught me a whole lot. I got to work under Ricky Reynolds. He taught me a ton. I’ve got a lot of great people I workwith. But, I will tell you the best thing I ever did. I gave my heart to Christ, when I was 10 years old, so thank you, Lord.”

Chris Brown, new director of Sulphur Springs-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation and Chamber Board member, presented the 2023 Large Business of the Year Award to Ed Do-minion for D6, Inc.. The business just celebrated its 10th birthday and its third year in Sulphur Springs. During that time, D6 has made a significant economic contribution to Hopkins County and will make an even more significant impact in the future.

D6 has added 250 jobs to the area, putting over $14 million in salaries back into the Texas economy, “and they are not even close to being done.”

“The company chose Sulphur Springs because Sulphur Springs cared,” Brown noted.

D6 has launched community recycling units that are bringing recycling to rural communities, and Sulphur Springs has responded by being their top collection location in the state. Through their recycling units and other sources of plastic waste, they are able to divert tons of plastic from landfills, clean and process the plastics, then produce through specialized processes food packaging products. D6 Inc’s innovative and sustainable approach sets the business apart from others.

“The products they make touch 15-16% of the world in serving sizes on an annual basis, and most of the work is done right here in Sulphur Springs. They plan to expand more in Texas because, quote: ‘It’s nice to do business in a state where they want you to do good.’ Their business is driven by innovation. They are continually exploring ways to improve their circular economy and enhance the products they create. The wonderful thing about their diversity here is, whether you are just entering the workforce or have advanced degrees or certifications, you are valued by your ability to be coached, to be a team player, and your commitment to helping your coworkers achieve continued success. Their brand is built on integrity, passion, team work and individuals who strive to master their craft,” Brown noted.

D6 Inc. was named Northeast Texas 2023 Small Employer of the Year, and Manufacturer of the Year in 2019 by the Portland Business Journal. D6 founder and President Ed Dominion was named Executive of the Year in 2021.

Ed Dominion, upon accepting the award, said when looking to expand and move the business, he’d visited several nearby states. He said within 3 minutes of sitting down with members from the community he knew Sulphur Springs was the place D6 would be moving to.

“You could see it, how everybody was looking at us, how they were listening, they wanted us to be here. It is an incredible community to be here tonight. This is the community that’s building something special in the city,” Dominion said, noting how far things have come since he left home in Michigan at 18 with $2,000 and two duffle bags; D6 now has business in multiple states and several locations outside the United States. “We’ve put hundreds, thousands of jobs around the world, recycling we are doing in rural communities, and it’s because of this “can do attitude’ in this community. I am thankful to be here, and from every D6 employee from Portland to India, thank you for letting us be here holding this hardware tonight.”

Small Business of the Year

Danielle Ellis, Chamber Board member, presented the Small Business of the Year to Slaughter’s BBQ. The family-owned business opened the doors to its downtown location in 2023, into a brick and mortar building, but had already been in business for 6 years.

“They are nationally recognized, state award-winning, and a local favorite. They celebrate others, leading the summer food tour of Sulphur Springs, personally visiting every restaurant, food truck, diner, dine-in, convenience store grill and maybe even a few household kitchens and backyard smokers. It was their mission to share something positive with each eating venue. Their idea is to shop local everything. While they are local to support Hopkins County, their name and reputation goes far and wide,” Ellis said.

Slaughter BBQ, she noted, is “continuously invited to exclusive barbecues and music festivals across Texas,” and has been featured in metroplex news stories and Texas Monthly magazine as one of the top barbecue joints in the state.

Slaughters BBQ has “become a destination stop for many traveling across the South. Their restaurant has become a gathering place for not only meals but fellowship and encouragement. They support our school districts and our small businesses, along with our appetites. It’s truly a family business model with everyone pitching in and selling out for each other. On top of that, they also won second place in the beef stew category at last year’s Hopkins County Stew Festival.”

Woman of the Year

On behalf of Mother’s Culture Club, Chamber Board member Maizie Mc-Daniel presented the 2023 Woman of the Year Award to Sharla Campbell, a well rounded woman “who checks all of the boxes.”

“She is a great mom and wife, business leader and community volunteer, involved in her church and an encourager. She loves to be involved in her community,” McDaniel explained.

Campbell is officer with the Sulphur Springs Symphony League, and “masterminds the annual auction and Independence Day concert.” She has chaired and served as a board member of the Hopkins County Health Care Foundation. She was in Leadership Sulphur Springs in 2008 and has been a member of the Dial Study Club. Campbell also serves in several leadership positions at church.

“She is not the type of volunteer who just shows up to a meetings. Rather she participates, offers ideas, volunteers to take on projects and follows through. She was a key member of the team that organized A Christmas Carol The Musical by taking someone else’s idea and working to make it a reality. She is described as very kind and thoughtful toward her friends and neighbors. She befriends new folks to our community and includes them in local activities. One nominator said, ‘There is nothing she can’t accomplish. I am sure there will be many more successes in her future but she had already accomplished more than most people,’” McDaniel noted.

Campbell holds both bachelor's and master’s degrees, and has a nursing home administrator’s license. Professionally, Campbell is very involved in her family- owned business, Carriage House Manor.

Outstanding Agricultural Family of the Year

On behalf of Hopkins- Rains Farm Bureau, Tommy Long presented the 2023 Outstanding Agricultural Family of the Year award to Karl and Kelli Ebel.

Long noted grassland manager-producer Karl Ebel, in his early years had adventures as a cowboy, biologist and oil field worker. After traveling all over the world experiencing grazing lands, Karl and wife Kelli settled in Sulphur Bluff in 2003, to start a family, rehabilitate the land, and raise beef cattle and goats. A first generation rancher, managing his 1,000-acre ranch, over the past 20 years his native tallgrass prairie and critically imperiled dropseed prairie has undergone an amazing restoration. The Ebel grassland ranch includes one of the last remaining tall grass prairie tracks in the state. With help from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program, they have adopted carefully managed rotational grazing, prescribed burning and trample planting to restore and manage this Hopkins County prairie. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program has helped them put in place a conservation easement that will protect the rare native Silveus dropseed prairie for future generations. They continue to learn how grassland stewardship and grazing land economics go handin- hand and share these experiences with many in the community through field days and ranch tours. Thy raised two active teenage boys were very helpful in ranch operations.

The Ebels received the 2022 Land Steward Award. This week returned from Washington D.C., where the National Wildlife Federation invited them to speak to Congress about the importance of conservation funding to preserve agricultural production and wildlife in America.

“I want to thank the folks that nominated us,” Karl Ebel said. “I want to thank this community for sharing your kids with us and your families, and making Hopkins County a great place to live. Thank y’all.”

Courtney Brown, a member of the Chamber Board, presented three education awards, one each for the Auxiliary, Paraprofessional and Professional Educator of the Year.

Auxiliary

Brown presented the 2023 Auxiliary Educator of the Year award to Como-Pickton CISD Nurse Holly Self, whose job isn’t really a job for her but a calling. As the school nurse, she is ready to provide daily medical care and expertise, but her job goes far beyond that. She leads the CPCISD Student Health Advisory Committee and organized a student health fair last spring, connected families in need with local charity and social services. Each year she instructs district staff on emergency medical techniques in response to possible choking, anaphylactic shock and CPR; and trains seniors in CPR. She is trained in emergency medicine and is on-call as a first responder. Those nominating her for the honor described her as “extremely organized and focused on continuously learning and developing best practices to manage routine activities, both efficiently and effectively.” She also finds time to attend school functions such as carnivals and graduations, and is a big fan of Como-Pickton Eagle athletics.

Paraprofessional

Brown presented the 2023 Paraprofessional Educator of the Year award to Renee Smith, Those nominating Smith described her as “having a hard-working attitude and servant’s heart.” She begins her day before 7:30 a.m., taking cones and signs to the student drop-off area, no matter the weather, then helps unload students from vehicles. At 8 a.m. she transitions to classroom, where ”she has developed a wonderful relationship with the students” on the Rowena Johnson Primary campus. When a third grade teacher needs someone to fill in, Smith is the one they request. She covers for teachers in the afternoons so they can attend grade-level planning meetings, then helps load students into cars for dismissal. She too was described as “punctual, reliable, energetic, positive and dependable. She is loyal to her campus, staff and students. In fact, last year, one of the third grade teachers resigned in September, and for 3 1/2 months until a replacement could be found in January, she served as a classroom teacher, making lesson plans, grading papers, managing behaviors, and other teacher duties, knowing it was best for those students.”

Professional

Brown presented the Professional Educator of the Year Award to Renee Maeker, Spanish teacher at Sulphur Springs High School.

Maeker was overwhelmingly nominated for the award by almost two dozen of her coworkers, seven current students, five former students, her family, current boss, three former bosses, her pastor, friends, even educators at school districts.

“That gives you a little bit of an idea how many lives this person has touched on a daily basis,” Brown noted.

Maeker has been a high school teacher for 22 years, and some of her former students are now teachers.

'One of her greatest strengths is her ability to connect with students on a personal level. Her classroom has been called a safe place for students to learn and thrive. She is described as having a light that shines around her in almost every nomination letter. There were literally dozens of the words positive, dedication, inspiring, strength, nurturing and leadership. They were used over and over. Those who nominated her talked not only about her passion for students’ education but the strength of her character and her selfless service. She has been described as a champion for students’ futures and through her example, she is teaching her students how to face adversity with grace and how to keep moving forward in spite of of life’s challenges. A truly amazing teacher is hard to find, difficult to part with and impossible to forget,” Brown said, when inviting those present to celebrate SSHS Spanish teacher Renee Maeker.

“All I can say is thank you. It is quite an honor. I know there are so many more that are more deserving than myself. But, just thank you, thank you very much,” an emotional Maeker said.

Community Pride Award

Tony Cook presented the Community Pride Award on behalf of the 1994 Adult Leadership Class.

“This is our 30th year giving out this award. This award was a project that we worked on and decided that was needed in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County, just to kind of revitalize and excite the spirit here in Sulphur Springs,” Cook noted.

Cook presented the 2023 Community Pride Award to Wade Bartley for Help-A-Child.

“This is quite a surprise. If you’ve got a few minutes I’ll talk to you about the Help-A-Child benefit,” said Bartley. “It’s been a passion of ours for the last 15-16 years. This whole community comes together to support us in supporting children so I can’t say thank you enough for all the support you’ve given us, and I hope it continues in the future. Thank you very much.”

Vision Award

Chamber Past-Chairman Larry Willis presented the Bobby McDonald Vision Award to Billie Ruth Standbridge. He cited her vision and work revitalizing downtown, seeing it grow and thrive.

“She has put her heart and soul and money into the downtown, is an advocate for the downtown area, small business and Sulphur Springs as a whole. If you love Main Street — and don’t we all love Main Street — you can give some of the credit to the visionary award recipient,” Willis said. “We know Bobby McDonald would whole-heartedly give his approval as we announce Billie Ruth Standbridge for the Visionary Award.

“All I can say is, I can’t believe it,” Standbridge said. “But, I have to tell you for having made it to 90, it was about time.”

Growth and Renewal Award

Marlene DeYoung and Enola Gay Mathews, on behalf of Sulphur Springs Downtown Business Alliance, presented the Growth and Renewal Award to Main Street Theatre.

The group has a 40-plus year history of serving the community, with half a dozen events a year before COVID swept the world, but within he last two years, Main Street Theatre not only renovated the facility, but changed its mode of of operations.

'Going from a half dozen events a year pre-COVID, its board of Directors added a partnership with CHESS Homeschool Co-Op theatre class, and hosted movie nights, Broadway Melodies, music video sing-alongs, musicals and drama, a fashion show, a clown show, live music, live comedy and improv. It’s now home to the annual Homeschool One Act Play festival and an Adaptive Community (ACT) program, while retaining the classic Children’s Summer Workshop. Online ticket sales now top 75 different zip codes, and last year, a 9% growth in total number of audience members. Yet the growth is not over! Costumes, sets, and licensing fees must still be afforded with each new season. Audiences are what make the magic happen, and it will take donors and sponsors to perpetuate this growth for the next generation,' Mathews read.

Accepting the 2023 Growth and Renewal Award present by SSDBA to Main Street Theatre was Lyndie Mansfield, president of the Main Street Theatr Board.

Caregiver of the Year

CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs President and Chamber Board member Paul Harvey presented the 2023 Caregiver of the Year Award to Jerry Pritchett.

“Unconditional love may take no greater form than from those who care for a loved one with memory issues,” Harvey noted. “Our caregiver of the year is one of a special breed, with a big heart and even bigger shoulders. The love he has for his wife is very noticeable to anyone that is around them, as he makes sure she is well taken care of, including getting her nails done regularly in favorite color — red. He has always been a provider for his family, friends and strangers, and has the heart of a giver. This new journey has been one he has taken without exception. To watch his wife, best friend, change has not been easy. He has done it with the patience, dignity, and grace. he had had to unlearn and learn the way he reacts to this disease process, undertake daily activities, be the nurse, be the cook, housekeeper and ensure his wife’s quality of life is the best that it can be under the circumstances. He is also very vocal with appreciation for anyone who helps them on this difficult journey. His daughter said it all with these words: 'Their love story has always been one of unconditional support, devotion and loyalty, and the reason I know true love exists. He shows us what unconditional love looks like by keeping his wife Carolyn’s favorite saying in his heart: 'Keep laughing because laughing is so good for you.'' Pritchett noted that he and Carolyn have been together for 62 years. They have been married 58 years, and fell in love four years before that.

He noted that on their 50th wedding anniversary, he wanted to have cake and Blue Bell ice cream in the back yard with their children present. Carolyn wanted something a little bit bigger. She wanted to renew their wedding vows. They did so at The ROC, with friends and family present. Jerry sang her two love songs. They renewed their vows and a prayer was said. He then surprised her with a love poem. He read a snippet from that Thursday.

Pritchett said he does not consider himself a caregiver; that title goes to the many others who do help out. He said he considers himself instead just “a husband who loves his wife as much as she loves me.”

Chamber Recognition

Chamber President/ CEO Butch Burney presented Kim Beck with the 2022 Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year award, for her continued enthusiasm, support, passion and involvement in Chamber events and the community.

Burney recognized outgoing Chamber Directors Don McCann, Andy Endsley and Mike Horne. Mc-Cann and Horne were unable to attend the banquet.

Chamber Board Chairman Neal Barker recognized Chamber officers and directors.

Serving as past chair is Larry Willis; Robin Jeffries and Pam Black as vice chairs; Courtney Brown as treasurer; Kelli Lee as office administrator; Jaci Glenn as membership and social media coordinator. The Chamber Board of Directors also includes Chris Brown, Bradley Edge, Courtney Brown, Danielle Ellis, Amber Gilbert, Paul Harvey Robin Jeffries, Maizie Mc-Daniel, Diana Ramirez, Kenny Rogers, Keith Shurtleff, Shelly Slaughter, Ana Velasco, Julia Wilhite and Mike Horne.

The 2023 Banquet Committee included Willis as chair, and Courtney Brown, McDaniel, Ellis, Rogers, Velasco, Carolyn McKinney, Dani Dawkins, Kim Beck, Pam Black, Glenn and Kelli Lee.