Fleischmann, Belbeck, Pasqua receive Muddy Boot Awards

 

Businessmen Mike Belbeck and Mike Pasqua and U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann were honored Friday with Muddy Boot Awards. The awards from the East Tennessee Economic Council, or ETEC, pay tribute to people who, through their work and activities, build a better community.

Pasqua helped found and grow SAIC’s Oak Ridge offices and later led the transition to Leidos, a press release said. Belbeck is executive vice president for operations of Covenant Health and active in numerous organizations across the region, the release said.

Covenant Health’s Jan McNally, who recruited Belbeck to be her successor as administrator of Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, presented his award, and Sherry Browder, current chair of ETEC and a former colleague of Pasqua at SAIC, presented that Boot.

Fleischmann returned from Washington to receive his Muddy Boot Award, which was presented by incoming Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, the press release said.

The Council’s Pat Postma also presented the Postma Young Professional Medal to Wade Creswell, chief executive officer of The Roane Alliance.

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, Fleischmann, and Sue Cange, U.S. Department of Energy principal deputy assistant secretary of environmental management, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities Chief Executive Officer Andy Page made presentations during the event, which was held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge.

Andy Page, on behalf of Oak Ridge Associated Universities, donated $100,000 to the Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell project at the meeting, surprising the co-chairs of that effort, Pat Postma and Alan Tatum, midway through the meeting, the press release said.

“The Muddy Boot Award is given to people who get things done, and this year’s winners clearly have gone above and beyond to make this region prosper,” ETEC President Jim Campbell said. “It’s been a pleasure working with these three gentlemen over the past years, in some cases decades, and we wish them great success in the years to come.”

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 release said. More than 70 people have received the award. A full list of recipients and more information about the award can be found on the ETEC website at www.eteconline.org.

The East Tennessee Economic Council is a nonprofit membership organization that focuses on bringing people together to create new opportunities for federal research, national security, and environmental programs, and to support technology transfer and economic development, the press release said.

 

 

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