Kentucky Historical Society
KMHA Announces Award Winners

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 22, 2011) – The Kentucky Museum and Heritage Alliance (KMHA), a professional association for museums and local history organizations administered by the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS), presented three awards during its June 7 annual meeting luncheon in Maysville, Ky.  Award winners included Kimmy Cook from the Bacon Creek Historical Society, Phillip Seyfrit from the Battle of Richmond Association and Laurie Risch from Covington’s Behringer-Crawford Museum.

“KMHA presents these awards in order to recognize the exceptional job done by our colleagues, volunteers, and associates across the state,” said Sandy Stabell, chair of the KMHA awards committee.  “These awards are presented to noteworthy individuals who are at various stages of their careers, yet who have made great successes at their museums or institutions.”

Kimmy Cook, president of the Bacon Creek Historical Society in Bonnieville (Hart County), won the KMHA “Rookie of the Year” award, which is given to a professional or volunteer with an energetic vision who has recently entered the field.  Cook won the award for his work in recognizing Camp Jefferson, a largely-forgotten Civil War camp located along Bacon Creek.  He is now working to preserve the area and interpret the community’s Civil War history.

For his work with the Battle of Richmond Association, Phillip Seyfrit, historic properties administrator for Madison County, won the KMHA “Pinnacle Award.”  Given to a long-time professional or volunteer who exemplifies commitment and dedication to their profession, Seyfrit won the award for his preservation and interpretive efforts at the Richmond battlefield.  During Seyfrit’s tenure, historic preservation efforts have rapidly moved forward.

Laurie Risch, director of the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Covington, won the KMHA “Firefighter Award,” which is presented to a professional or volunteer who has overcome obstacles in the field.  According to Stabell, Risch has transformed Behringer-Crawford from a community history and art museum into a leading northern Kentucky institution.  Under Risch’s leadership, the museum has expanded and become a regional destination.

The awards were presented during the KMHA annual meeting, a conference that teaches best practices and new innovations in the museum and local history field.  This year’s meeting, held in Maysville from June 5-7, included tours and sessions for participants.  Speakers included Alma R. Douglas from the Smithsonian Institution and broadcast journalist and television host Nick Clooney.

KMHA serves the cultural, artistic, historical and museum communities of Kentucky through support of collaboration, communication, networking, professional development and advocacy.  Additional information about KMHA can be found at www.kymuseums.org.