As it became apparent she was not there to introduce another winner, a smile spread across District Court Judge Brenda Branch's face as she was named the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce's Woman of the Year today.
“Thank you all,” she said after receiving the recognition at the 2015 Business Awards. “I knew something was wrong. I thought I was here to introduce (Superior Court Judge) Alma (Hinton) and then I see all my family and all my staff. These are the people that let me keep ticking.”
Branch said she was honored Halifax Community College President Ervin Griffin Sr. nominated her. “It made me honored because he is so respected. I'm proud to know someone like you thought about someone like me.”
Chamber board Chairman Jay Carlilse, in introducing Branch, said, “As a sitting judge, this woman has worked in areas that were traditionally held by men. She not only worked these positions but excelled in them. Her is resume is so long of community betterment that there is simply no way to recite it all.”
Some of the highlights of her resume, Carlilse said, include president of the Rotary Club, the North Carolina Children's Advisory Board, Citizen of the Year for the State of North Carolina Civil Liberties Department and Woman Extraordinaire by the Business Leader Association.
“She excelled in preparing legal briefs and prepared them and argued opinions before Associate Justice Robert Orr of the North Carolina Supreme Court,” he said.
She is a member of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce and was one of the keynote speakers for the chamber's first women’s conference.
All of today's winners. From left, Blackledge and Bynum; Branch, Brown and Barber.
Minority Business of the Year
The Minority Business of the Year award went to Deborah Harris-Ivery, founder and CEO of d-Harris Barber College.
Yelondia Bynum and Ayesha Blackledge accepted the award for Harris-Ivery.
Said Carlilse, “Typical of the times, Deborah is a first generation college graduate and by choice a teacher because that was her mother’s life dream.”
She originally began her career in Roanoke Rapids at the Social Security office.
“However, teaching continued to beckon and Deborah found herself home, teaching eighth graders at Gaston Junior High for Northampton County schools.”
He described Harris-Ivery as a life-learner with 32 years experience in education and winner of the Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Educator of the Year award.
New Business of the Year
The Chamber’s New Business of the Year award went to Juanita Brown of Kidz World Playhouse.
“Juanita Brown has successfully opened and operated two child care centers in Newport News, Virginia and decided to expand in North Carolina in 2014,” Carlilse said. “She chose Roanoke Rapids as her location of choice. She brings knowledge and experience to care and develop children cognitively, physically, emotionally, creatively and socially.”
Kidz World is an interactive playroom designed for children ages 2-10, featuring many toys and a back room designed for birthday parties
Business of the Year
Business of the Year honors went to Kelly Barber of The Renaissance Spa & Salon.
“Since Kelly Barber bought the Renaissance Spa and Salon in 2009, the facility has undergone a complete renovation and clients have been very complimentary,” Carlilse said. “The business has grown in size and capabilities. The mission is to create the ultimate spa and salon experience which embraces the wonderful diversity of all of the clients, aiming to nurture their bodies, calm their minds, and soothe their spirits.”
