The board of directors of Leadership Tri-County has selected Union College President Ed de Rosset as the 2010 recipient of the William Hacker, M.D. Leader of the Year Award.

Each year, Leadership Tri-County presents this award to an individual from Knox, Laurel or Whitley County whose leadership efforts and accomplishments most closely reflect the mission of this community organization. That mission is the identification and development of leadership resources in the area to create a better and more unified Southeastern Kentucky through trust, respect, commitment and service.

During de Rosset's tenure as president, Union College has solidified its position as one of Kentucky's premier institutions of higher learning. Under his leadership, Union has accomplished much and has been recognized for outstanding performance in various fields of academia. Union College's scores on the 2009 National Study of Student Engagement outpaced the national average for similar schools by twenty percent in several different areas. In addition, applications for admission to Union have increased by eighty percent since 2003 and the number of full-time faculty has increased by thirty-three percent since the 2003-2004 academic year.

Another achievement under de Rosset's direction was Union's recent Energy Conservation Project. This involved the installation of 128 geothermal wells and energy-efficient updates such as insulation, window replacements, lighting replacements and retro-fits, energy monitoring and control systems, installation of high-tech furnaces, and electrical system improvements. The project broke ground in 2006 with an energy-savings guarantee of $1.8 million over 15 years. In the first year alone, Union exceeded the projected $123,636 in savings for a total savings of $215,199.

Leadership Tri-County will hold a banquet in de Rosset's honor on Feb. 19 at the Corbin Center for Technology. De Rosset will attend the banquet to receive his award and to deliver the evening's keynote address.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this important community event. Gold level sponsors will receive a full table reservation for eight guests along with a full page ad in the printed program. Silver sponsors will receive a half table reservation for four guests and a half page ad in the printed program. All sponsors will receive special mention during the event. Gold sponsorships are $1,000 and Silver sponsorships are $500. A limited number of individual tickets will be available for $20.

If you wish to sponsor this year's Leader of the Year Banquet, please contact Chairman Ed McGrath by Wednesday, Feb, 10. Individual tickets can be reserved until the day of the banquet, if available.

McGrath can be reached by mail at: Leadership Tri-County, c/o Ed McGrath, 121 Cardinal Heights, Williamsburg, KY 40769; by e-mail at aurugby@bellsouth.net; or by phone at 606-521-4188.