Forster named recipient of '08 Community Leadership Award

From Staff Reports

Retired general and Blount County Chamber of Commerce President Fred Forster will be the 2008 recipient of the annual Community Leadership Award from Leadership Blount County.

Forster will be honored at the Community Leadership Award breakfast at 7:30 a.m. April 18 at First United Methodist Church in Maryville.

Since Forster moved to Blount County in 1979, he has provided unwavering leadership in the community. In addition to his many military honors, he has also been active in United Way, American Cancer Society, East Tennessee Regional Clean Air Coalition, East Tennessee Economic Council, Technology 2020, East Tennessee Economic Development Agency, Maryville College, the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, and the Great Smoky Mountains Council of the Boy Scouts. Forster is also a 1996 graduate of Leadership Blount County.

Forster is married to Carolyn, and together they have two daughters, Joy Carver, 30, and Rebecca Forster, 25. Joy Carver and husband, Will, have one son, Andrew Sevier Carver.

"Fred exemplifies what it means to have a servant's heart," said Mike Zorio, chairman of Leadership Blount. "Not only is he continually on the front line of critical community issues, he also helps grow our leaders of tomorrow."

The Community Leadership Award is given based on several criteria. Nominees must have demonstrated a commitment to leadership in Blount County, exercised leadership in a variety of community positions, helped develop future leaders and used leadership positions to promote the development of the community.

Previous recipients of the award have been the late Harwell Proffitt, Tutt Bradford, Dean Stone, Dr. Sue Wyatt, Geraldine Upton, Joe Ingram, Gary Hensley and Joy Bishop.

To RSVP for the Community Leadership Award breakfast, please contact the Leadership Blount office at 984-9368. Reservations must be made by 5 p.m. April 14.