The Union County Business & Professional Association awarded a total of 10 scholarships for 2024. UCBPA annually awards the Tracy Jeffreys Memorial Academic Scholarship to honor extensive commitment to educational achievement, mentoring of youth and professional ethics, as well as the tremendous amount of service that Marvin and Doris Jeffreys have given to Union County. The scholarship also memorializes Tracy, their deceased daughter.

From President Tammie Hill”s passage from Romans 8:32 “for all things work together for the good to them that know God” to the closing song Amazing Grace, the message of the 27th Annual Union County Business and Professional Prayer Breakfast on Good Friday, March 29, was “come together and ‘Just Believe.’”
Rev. Corey Carroll, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Maynardville, welcomed everyone to the gathering at the church and reminded them of the significance of Easter and the sacrifices that Jesus made.

The Union County Business & Professional Association will host its 27th Annual Prayer Breakfast on Good Friday, March 29, at First Baptist Church on Main Street.
Buttercup Bakehouse will cater a full hot breakfast of bacon, eggs, biscuits with gravy, fruits, cinnamon rolls, pastries, coffee, and juice. Pastor Corey Carroll of First Baptist will offer the warm welcome and caring invocation and Pastor Kathy Chesney of Miller's Chapel UMC and Irwin's Chapel UMC will close with the inspirational benediction.

Union County Mayor Jason Bailey addressed the Union County Business & Professional Association on February 13, at the First Bank Conference Room. He shared information on the more than $20M in active grants that his office has secured mostly in the past three years.
He also noted that his office will be applying for over $2.2M more in grants this year. Part of the grants were gifts from the federal or state government. The majority of the other grants have no local tax money needed to match the grant.

Commissioner Sidney Jessee, Jr., who is chairman of the Union County Jail Committee, spoke to Union County Business & Professional Association at its January meeting on the locations for the new jail and the pros and cons of each location. Locating the jail on the existing middle school football field would possibly cost less.
But citizens have voiced that commission should not take away the field, especially before the new middle school field is available. Also, using the football field would still require prisoners to be transported to the courtroom for trial.

A little over 100 UCBPA members and citizens attended the first annual Light the Night in Wilson Park on December 1. Unfortunately the lights on the Emily Link Gazebo were on for only two seconds before the ground fault interrupter shut off the power.  Martin Shafer and Bill Collins, the county maintenance supervisor, spent much of December 4 correcting the issues and adding timers purchased by Union County Business and Professional Association. Thanks to the cooperation between Union County and UCBPA, the gazebo remained lighted each evening until after the holidays.

The Union County Business & Professional Association named Scott Inklebarger and Tonya Atkins, the Union County Man and Woman of 2023 at its 33rd annual banquet on Friday, November 3. Inklebarger is the manager of Food City and Ms. Atkins is the owner of A&B Bookkeeping. Both were chosen based on their outstanding and continuous community service along with their quality business practices.

Union County Business & Professional Association has enjoyed a variety of speakers at its meetings this spring and summer.
In August, Sharon Hudson, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of East Tennessee, shared the mission and services of the nonprofit. Hudson stated that besides disaster relief, the Red Cross operates an international blood bank that specializes in the storage of rare blood. She noted that the bank has been used in not only recent tornadoes and storms but also in Ukraine.

Union County Business & Professional Association welcomed spring with its 26th Annual Prayer Breakfast on Good Friday, 2023. With the theme of “Dare to Begin Again, President Tammie Hill welcomed members, family, and friends to Maynardville Fellowship Baptist Church. Pastor Matt Cooke related several stories and passages from the Bible that told how people should never give in to adversity, but rather face life's challenges armed and supported by their faith.

Union County Business & Professional Association presented scholarship awards to eight graduating seniors at the Union County High School Senior Awards and College Signing Day on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Receiving the Jeffreys Memorial Academic Scholarship was Rileigh Collins. Rileigh will attend East Tennessee State University to pursue a dual major in physical therapy and business.