The Knoxville Opera Guild has awarded the 2020 Happy Booker Volunteer Spirit award to Trey Coleman, board chair of the guild. The announcement came from Julia Mullaney, guild president.
The award is presented annually to recognize a member of the guild who has exhibited extraordinary service. During her remarks, Mullaney said, “Trey has exhibited extraordinary service this year. I think the true mark of a great board chair is to leave an organization in better shape than when they started. Trey has done that in spades. Bravo.”
Trey Coleman
Coleman is Knoxville market president of HomeTrust Bank. He has served on the Industrial Development Board of Knox County, is a past president of the Joy of Music School and the North Knoxville Rotary Club.
The Knoxville Opera Guild is a volunteer organization created in 1992 to support Knoxville Opera and provide a means of fellowship and networking for opera lovers through cast parties, fund-raising events and educational activities. The guild makes opera accessible to an increasingly diverse audience and enhances the quality of life in our community.
The award pays tribute to Happy Booker, a major force in the founding of Knoxville Opera who remained a vital and involved volunteer until her death in 2002. The recipients to date are:
- Mark Hill – 1998
- Jacqueline Ball – 1999
- Joanne Mounger – 2000
- Ann Exum – 2001
- Theresa Stone – 2002
- Frankie Hulett – 2003
- Susana Esrequis – 2004
- Audrey Duncan – 2005
- Robert Gibson – 2006
- Jim Stiegler – 2007
- Margaret Bull – 2008
- John Butler – 2009
- Phyllis Driver – 2010
- Kathy Krohmer – 2011
- Audrey Duncan – 2012
- Susana Esrequis – 2013
- Kimberly Henry – 2014
- Caesar Stair III – 2015
- Mark Cramolini – 2016
- Evelyn Hopp – 2017
- Robin Gold – 2018
- Eden McNabb Bishop – 2019
- Trey Coleman – 2020
Esther Blevins manages marketing, media and grants for the Knoxville Opera.