Tennessee’s Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Randy Boyd will present the keynote address at the 2015 Mel Bedwell Small Business Person of the Year Award luncheon on Monday, May 4, at the Museum Center at 5ive Points.
Sponsored by the Small Business Committee, this annual event kicks off the celebration of Small Business Month by the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Boyd is founder and executive chairman of Radio Systems Corporation, which he started in 1991. Headquartered in Knoxville, Radio Systems has over 630 associates worldwide with offices in seven countries. The company produces over 4,600 pet products under brand names such as Invisible Fence, PetSafe and SportDOG. It is a privately held corporation with sales over $350 million.
Mr. Boyd serves on numerous corporate boards, including chairman of Radio Systems Corporation; chairman of Zingy, a shared economy model dog walking service based in Santa Monica; and EDP BioTech, a bioscience company doing cancer and DNA research; and Boyd Sports LLC, owner of the Tennessee Smokies Baseball team, the AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
He also serves on the board of several non-profit organizations: Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts and outgoing president; National Parks Conservation Association; and outgoing Campaign Chair of the United Way of Greater Knoxville. His service on education-related boards includes outgoing chairman of The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (resigned with current ECD appointment), Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, Boys and Girls Clubs of East Tennessee Board of Trustees, Pond Gap University Assisted Community Schools, and University of Tennessee College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and vice chairman of Knox County’s Great School Partnership.
He is chairman of tnAchieves, a mentor-assisted scholarship program that has sent over 10,000 first-generation community college students across the state of Tennessee and in 2015 will provide operational support for students participating in the Tennessee Promise in 85 counties across the state.
Mr. Boyd has received several awards, including 2014 University of Tennessee Alumni of the Year, 2014 Tennessee Business Round Table Gordon Fee Achievement Award, 2014 Pinnacle James Haslam Leadership Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the year for the Southeast in 2008, Tennessee Business Magazine’s CEO of the Year in 2009 and UT’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2009. He was inducted into Junior Achievement’s East Tennessee Hall of Fame in 2008.
In 2013 he took a year leave of absence from his company to serve Governor Bill Haslam in a volunteer role as his special advisor on Higher Education, assisting in the development of the Drive to 55 initiatives and the Tennessee Promise. The Tennessee Promise will provide free tuition and fees to community college to approximately 25,000 Tennesseans per year, all matched with a trained, volunteer mentor.
A highlight of the Bedwell Award luncheon is recognition of an outstanding small business person in Cleveland and Bradley County for his/her success in six areas: staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales, innovativeness of product or service offered, response to adversity, and evidence of contributions to the community.
The Chamber board of directors renamed the Small Business Person of the Year Award to honor the memory of Mel Bedwell, who was known for his energy, determination, ingenuity, honesty, enthusiasm and loyalty—all traits necessary for a successful small business owner. Mr. Bedwell was an owner with Jack Smith of Cleveland Business Machines.
To make reservations call the Chamber office at 423-472-6587 by Thursday, April 30, or register online through the Chamber’s events calendar at www.clevelandchamber.com. Single tickets are $25, and corporate tables of eight are $200. A limited number of tabletop display spaces are also available for members to reserve through the website or by calling Bernadette Douglas, executive vice president, at 423-472-6587.