EO presents Bishops with Community Champion Award
Tom and Kyra Bishop receive the Community Champion Award from Virginia Secretary of Education Dr. Jeffery Smith.
“Community Champions” is a title that well describes a Chilhowie couple who has repeatedly but quietly given to their community. Earlier this month, they received an award bearing that name.
At the non-profit EO’s annual nexEO event to celebrate regional progress and looking toward what can be accomplished, the organization hosted the Forward Together Awards Celebration.
During that celebration, the Community Champion Award was presented to Tom and Kyra Bishop.
According to EO, “This award recognizes a donor, volunteer, or contributor whose exceptional generosity, dedication, and commitment have made a significant difference in advancing community goals. This award recognizes those who give their time, talent, resources, or influence to help create meaningful and lasting change.”
Award material described the Bishops as “builders in every sense of the word,” noting their investments in the multi-generation family companies they’ve continued to build -- Berry Home Centers, Berry Iron and Metal, Berry Enterprises and others, the jobs they’ve created, and their investment in people.
“But what makes Tom and Kyra so special is that their investment in Southwest Virginia has never stopped at the doors of their businesses. They understand that strong communities are built when people choose to show up for one another. And Tom and Kyra show up,” said the award presentation, which noted that the Bishops support of Emory & Henry, Barter Theatre and the William King Museum of Art. “They support the traditions and organizations that make communities like Chilhowie special. And they have generously supported countless efforts aimed at making this region a better place to live, work, raise a family, and build a future.”
The presentation also acknowledged the Bishops support of EO, saying, “Tom and Kyra have been donors, partners, and champions of our work. Berry Home Centers has helped us bring career exploration to life through EO Career Commons, giving young people an opportunity to see themselves in careers and industries that are important to our region.”
“But perhaps what we appreciate most is something much simpler: When we need them, Tom and Kyra are there. They don't have to be asked twice. They don't look for recognition. They simply want to know how they can help.”
The presentation continued, “That kind of generosity is about much more than writing a check. It is about believing in a place and its people. It is about recognizing that each of us has a role to play in creating opportunity for the next generation.”
EO went on to thank the Bishops “for believing in EO, for believing in Southwest Virginia, and for showing us what it looks like to invest not only in businesses and organizations, but in people and in the future of the place we all call home.”
In June, the Smyth County School Board and the Virginia School Boards Association honored Tom Bishop.
Superintendent Dr. Brad Haga said that Bishop’s ongoing partnership with local schools has helped students and educators succeed. Dr. Brad Haga, superintendent, said that Bishop has contributed resources and time to the Chilhowie schools and the entire system.
The School Board nominated Bishop’s name to the VSBA for inclusion on its “Business Honor Roll in recognition of your outstanding support for your local schools and the public school students in your community. Your continued partnership and dedication play an important role in helping our schools thrive and in ensuring that every student has access to meaningful opportunities for success.”
Bishop and his wife, Kyra, accepted the award.
Virginia Secretary of Education Dr. Jeffery Smith attended the EO event. The day began with a Strong Schools Tour at EO’s Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub in Abingdon. Featuring Smith, it was expected to connect with this region’s school superintendents and highlight some of the work happening across Southwest Virginia.
The educators received an overview and tour of EO’s work across its focus areas, including early childhood care and education, workforce, and community development, and learned about ways school divisions can partner with EO.
