More than 600 local business leaders and guests filled the Sloan Convention Center Thursday night for the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner to see D. Gaines Penn officially officially sworn in as the 2012 chairman. Penn is the managing partner of the English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley law firm in Bowling Green.
Outgoing 2011 Chairman Rodney Rogers, president of Stewart-Richey Construction, made it official by presenting Penn with a child's stick horse saying he was "handing the reins to Gaines."
Gaines' theme for 2012 is "Building Talent, Leading Innovation". He spoke of the value of workforce development and the need to develop and emphasize talent at all levels. The Chamber will be sponsoring the national "Leader In Me" program at all city and county schools. Bowling Green will be the first city in the country to develop the K - 12 program based on Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Successful People".
Chamber President and CEO Ron Bunch reported business announcements totaled more than $200 million in capital investment and more than 1,500 additional jobs.