The award, presented at a luncheon today at the Knoxville Convention Center by Mayor Madeline Rogero, honors a Knoxville community leader who demonstrates a deep caring for and commitment to the city's citizens. Today's luncheon was a fundraiser for the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service.

Randy Boyd, the state's Economic and Community Development Commissioner, was honored for his wide variety of contributions: championing community schools and efforts to help more Tennesseans attend college; supporting up-and-coming business entrepreneurs; and helping to re-energize Knoxville’s Old City.

Randy has chaired a United Way campaign. He chaired the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Dog Fancy magazine has named Knoxville as the most dog-friendly city in the Southeast – and that’s a credit to Randy’s deep love of canines. Randy Boyd is responsible for helping to create seven public dog parks in the Knoxville area; his company funded the PetSafe Chair of Companion Animal Behavior at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee and has donated over 10,000 dog oxygen masks to fire departments across the United States.

Mayor Rogero also thanked the staff, supporters and 300 caregivers of the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service for their work in providing services to 2,600 disabled individuals or senior citizens in a 20-county area that allow them to stay in their homes and avoid having to move into an assisted living facility or a nursing home.  

Congratulations again to Randy Boyd, the 2015 Knoxville Award honoree!