Sauer named Ambassador of Year; Warren honored for chamber work; Gillham reports on chamber’s year
Vince Tweddell, the founder, publisher and editor of the Hendersonian newspaper, was honored Monday as the Henderson Chamber of Commerce’s second-ever Catalyst Award recipient.
The award, first presented last year to restaurateur and commercial developer Casey Todd, is intended to recognize those who blaze new trails in making the community a better place.
Tweddell was credited with having the courage to launch a community newspaper in an era when many longstanding daily newspapers are dwindling or disappearing altogether.
He was praised in the award announcement for providing “local journalism by local journalists who care about their community and who intend to do reporting that is accurate … and based in fact … and fair … and accountable — old-fashioned journalism whereby reporters strive to tell the story correctly and, if they make a factual error, the Hendersonian corrects itself. Unlike social media, where wild falsehoods and complete fabrications try to pass for truth.”
The Henderson native, who had experience reporting for newspapers in Madisonville and Frankfort, started the Hendersonian as a free monthly printed newspaper in May 2023 that was available for pickup all over town.
Later that year, he launched a paid version that delivers more timely news to subscribers’ email inboxes every Sunday and Wednesday morning.
And the Hendersonian has just opened a storefront office at 111 N. Main St. that is manned each weekday from 9 to 11 a.m. for readers to drop by to talk news, explore advertising opportunities or even gripe about local news coverage if they have a beef.
Stories and photos for the Hendersonian are produced by Tweddell and a group of freelance contributors, while advertising, grant writing and social media are handled by his only other full-time employee, Nate Boyett.
Following a model being seen across the country by local news startups, Tweddell operates the Hendersonian under a nonprofit organization called West Kentucky Public Service Journalism Inc. that is guided by a board of diverse, community-minded local citizens.
People interested in supporting the nonprofit newspaper can make charitable donations. The Hendersonian has just launched a fund drive in hopes of securing up to $15,000 in matching funds from the nonprofit Institute for Nonprofit News, which supports similar local news startups across the country.
In accepting the award, Tweddell thanked a host of supporters from proofreaders, contributors and board members to advisors, subscribers and contributors.
Ambassador of the Year: Jacob Sauer
Jacob Sauer was honored as the chamber’s Ambassador of the Year.
Ambassadors are chamber members who volunteer to serve as liaisons between the chamber, its members and the community. They volunteer at chamber ribbon-cuttings and other events, assist with membership recruitment and retention, and advocate for the chamber.
Sauer joined the Henderson County Riverport Authority in 2021, then was later promoted to business manager with responsibility for running the day-to-day business functions of the riverport.
In 2025 he was tasked with becoming more active in the community. He became a chamber ambassador last January and joined the chamber’s Public Policy Committee, and in January 2027 he will become a member of the chamber Board of Directors.
Sauer was credited for taking tremendous pride in serving as an ambassador and volunteering at chamber events such as Oktoberfest, the State of the City and County address, Porchfest, the Candidates Forum, Fall Market on Main, the Chili Cook-Off, Cars and Coffee, the Chamber Golf Outing, the Downtown Henderson Fireworks and the Agriculture Appreciation Breakfast.
“Thank you to the chamber for making it so easy to get involved,” Sauer said in accepting the award.
Donna Warren honored
Donna Warren was recognized for her more than three decades of work on the staff of the Henderson Chamber.
Warren has served in roles ranging from events coordinator to interim director to her current position of office manager for the chamber.
During her years, she helped organize and execute hundreds of chamber events, including dozens of annual dinners, that drew tens of thousands of attendees. Over that time, she and the chamber staff worked out of at least five different locations, operated under at least three corporate structures and was guided by at least a half-dozen presidents or CEOs.
“All the different entities, all the different presidents, and Donna Warren never wavered,” presenter Chase Fulcher said. “She never complained, she never said anything but positive (thoughts).
“She is retiring in July 2027, but this is her last annual dinner,” he said.
Chamber executive report
Chamber Executive Director Clay Gillham provided an overview of the chamber’s activities over the past year, including achieving her goal of having 500 members, with membership currently standing at 502, the most since 2017.
The chamber has enrolled 60 new members over the past year, hosted 15 Member Monday segments, attracting 79,900 views, participated in 67 events in 2016 including 22 ribbon cuttings and drew 1,886 attendees to ticketed events, including 375 at Monday’s Annual Dinner.
Gillham said the chamber listened to members in stepping up its public policy involvement that included arming 25 members with sheets of chamber priorities when they met legislators when they visited Frankfort during the 2026 General Assembly. Among those priorities are energy, housing and continuation of the Interstate 69 bridge project.
The chamber also advocated for state funding that was secured for the planned Audubon State Park conference center, which will seat up to 400 people and will be a huge asset community events, particularly since the closure of Lumber Yard Event Center.
Gillham also mentioned community highlights of the past year, including the Henderson Leadership Initiative’s street mural at Powell and Letcher streets, the Henderson Tourist Commission’s attraction of scheduled Viking riverboat visits to Henderson starting in 2027, the communitywide collaboration to bring “Unreasonable Hospitality” author Will Guidara to Henderson for an event that drew several hundred people and the 250th-birthday American Big Bang Celebration.
Outgoing board chair Kelsey Hargis also noted that the Henderson Chamber recently garnered two awards from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives: an Events Excellence Award for its Espresso Martini Festival in March (during which 1,200 such drinks were served) and the Excellence in Advocacy Award for partnering with six other chambers to host the West Kentucky Thank You Night in Frankfort during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly.
Gillham also celebrated becoming engaged in her hometown after returning here following a 10-year absence.
“I truly believe Henderson changes you the moment you step into the arena,” she said.
