Arkansas tourism awards finalists named

Finalists from Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas have qualified as finalists for the 2013 Henry Awards.

The 2013 Henry Awards winners will be revealed at the 39th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The ceremony will take place during the Governor’s Banquet on the final night of the conference, March 5, 2013, in Hot Springs.

The Henry Awards honor Henri de Tonti, the man historians consider to be among the first “Arkansas Travelers.”

Gov. Mike Beebe has been invited to address the tourism industry. Miss Arkansas Sloane Roberts will present awards to the recipients and Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism Executive Director Richard Davies will preside at the ceremony.

During the Henry Awards ceremonies, inductees into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame and the Tourism Person of the Year will also be announced.

The Hall of Fame honor is presented annually to an individual or individuals who have been actively involved in tourism for many years and who have made substantial contributions to the betterment of the industry as a whole.

Selected by former honorees, the Tourism Person of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual who has been actively involved in tourism and who has made a substantial contribution, within the past year, to the betterment of this industry as a whole.

The awards and respective finalists are:

THE MEDIA SUPPORT AWARD
Presented annually to a distinguished individual or organization for extraordinary attention to and/or support of Arkansas’s tourism industry through the use of media.
Dick Antoine, Hot Springs
Rex Nelson, North Little Rock
Marilyn Wallis, Harrison

THE BOOTSTRAP AWARD
Presented annually to an individual, organization, or community that has achieved significant success “on a shoestring,” having limited means to work with, either in resources or finances.
City of Siloam Springs
Downtown Walnut Ridge & Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce
Sugarloaf Foundation, Lead Hill

THE ARKANSAS HERITAGE AWARD
Presented annually to an individual, organization, or community that has made a significant contribution toward the preservation of some aspect of Arkansas’s natural, cultural, or aesthetic legacy.
Civil War Helena, Helena-West Helena
Drennen-Scott Historic Site, Van Buren
Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas, Little Rock

THE GRAND OLD CLASSIC SPECIAL EVENT AWARD
Presented annually to a festival, fair, or other special celebration which has “stood the test of time” and become an established example to follow.
Garland County Arts & Crafts Fair, Hot Springs
MusicFest El Dorado, El Dorado
Quapaw Quarter Association Spring Tour of Homes, Little Rock

THE OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
Presented annually to a community, individual, or organization that, through outstanding volunteer spirit, has made a substantial contribution to Arkansas’s tourism industry.
Arkansas Master Gardener Program, Little Rock
Donnie Crain, Jasper
T. Baridi Nkokheli, Fort Smith

THE COMMUNITY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Presented annually to an individual or organization which has achieved substantial success in the enhancement of its local resources through imaginative and innovative development efforts.
City of Bentonville
Paris Chamber of Commerce
Sculpture at the River Market, Little Rock

THE NATURAL STATE AWARD
Presented annually to a community, organization, special event, or attraction which “stands out in the crowd” because of its unique appeal, media coverage, creative approach, and/or enhancement of community pride, thus benefiting the state’s quality of life.
The Bass Reeves Legacy Monument, Fort Smith
Great Arkansas Cleanup, Little Rock
Rohwer Relocation Center National Historic Landmark, Rohwer

THE TOURISM SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Presented annually to an individual or organization that has contributed to the tourism industry through leadership “above and beyond” the normal requirements of their jobs.
Tommie Fleming, Smackover
Christie Graham, Russellville
Southland Park Gaming & Racing, West Memphis