Mark Campen, Courtney Shea honored by Fountain City
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
Honor Fountain City Day has been a Memorial Day highlight for many years. The members of Fountain City Town Hall have hosted the celebration of their community but this year the coronavirus pandemic has caused the cancellation.
Although the gathering won’t be held, the Town Hall isn’t abandoning the annual tradition of honoring those who have contributed much to Fountain City. This year they chose two local residents deeply involved in preserving our environment.
The Fountain City Man and Woman of the Year 2020 are Mark Campen and Courtney Shea.
Campen, a former Knoxville City Council member, is a UT graduate with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science and a minor in Forestry. He is the executive director of the Tennessee chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America.
He and his wife, Emily, have two children and Emily owns The Flower Pot florist shop. Campen continues to address conservation issues and water quality.
Courtney Shea came to East Tennessee with the Office of Surface Mining in 1979 and loved the area so much she stayed. She and her husband raised four children in Beverly Place in Fountain City, most of them attending Central High School.
Shea became involved with the CHS Foundation and her favorite project was the Wall of Fame where she helps write bios of those inducted members.
An environmental enthusiast she became an active member of the Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light and a board member of Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy center.
She has also been involved with Justice Knoxville and Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.
Kelly Ellenburg, Fountain City Town Hall’s chairperson said, “We regret having to cancel the event. Although we cannot honor our fallen heroes as a community this year, each of us will remember their sacrifice. We look forward to Memorial Day 2021 and the resumption of Honor Fountain City Day in the Park.”
She thanked the committee that worked for months planning the event. “The Honor Fountain City Day Committee members along with committee co-chairs, Tyler Pavlis and Christine Cloninger, worked hard organizing the event. A great deal of effort goes into planning the celebration. The work reflects their strong commitment to serving our community.
“We want to continue to recognize individuals who demonstrate outstanding service to our community. [Campen and Shea] are also invited to participate in the awards ceremony at the gazebo in the park on Memorial Day 2021,” said Ellenburg.
