The latest inductee to the Leflore County Hall of Fame, David Abney, had some words about hard work and believing in yourself for those gathered at the annual meeting of the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce.
Abney, a Greenwood native who worked his way up from package loader to chief executive officer of international shipping giant UPS, said the company had taken a chance on “a very immature person who wanted to do well” when it hired him as a part-timer on the night shift in Greenwood in 1974.
The Pillow Academy and Delta State University graduate said he’d tried to always set extremely high expectations for himself in any of the many roles he’s held with the company in the 40 years since.
Abney was named CEO of UPS in June. Prior to that announcement, he’d held a number of other posts, including as chief operating officer and president of UPS International.
In introducing Abney, Delta State President William LaForge noted that Abney’s start with the logistics giant started out as the college freshman worked on his business degree during the day and unloaded trucks at the company’s Greenwood facility at night.
“Between classes, he would sleep on couches in our student union,” LaForge said, joking that the university would dedicate one of Abney’s former napping spots to the current UPS CEO.
While accepting the honor at the 98th annual Chamber of Commerce event, Abney spoke about some of his early inspiration as a youngster in Greenwood, including the encouragement and guidance of a pair of athletic coaches.
Abney said that when he was a mediocre ninth-grade football player, Coach Sammy Dantone had pushed him hard — even if he didn’t wind up with much success on the field.
“I was never sure what my position was, but I think I was a tailback — because every time I asked to get in the game, Coach Dantone told me to get my tail back to the bench,” Abney quipped.
The diehard Mississippi State University sports fan also joked that rooting for the Bulldogs had prepared him for his career in business: “I learned at a very early age how to deal with adversity.”
Joking aside, Abney said he was honored by the induction and had enjoyed visiting with old friends during the trip to Greenwood.
He also had a few words of wisdom for the crowd of about 450 local leaders and business people: Believe in yourself, always find a way to build others up and set expectations for yourself higher than a boss might set.
The inauguration marked a high point in the annual event, which also included a business expo and the Taste of Greenwood food tasting, with samples from more than 20 Greenwood-area restaurants and caterers.
Outgoing Chamber President Mark Hutson said the event marked the end of a successful and gratifying year — both for himself as president and for the chamber as a whole.
“We’ve seen significant growth in the things we do,” Hutson said, pointing to chamber-sponsored events including the Viking Half Marathon; the Bikes, Blues and Bayous bicycle race; and the annual AgFest.
The lone exceptions, Hutson said, were the last two installments of the Roy Martin Delta Band Festival and Christmas Parade, which had been hit with cold and wet weather.
Incoming Chamber President Jean Cadney, an executive at Greenwood Utilities, said the chamber represents an opportunity to bring the entire Leflore County community together to improve the region and help the area succeed.
Also honored Thursday:
• James Hargrove II, sales manager at Delta Distributing, as Young Professional of the Year.
• Paulette Palmer, retired educator, as Chamber Ambassador of the Year.
• The Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation and the Baptist Town Project received the Community Pride Award for their service and dedication to the community.
• Lawrence Printing Co. as small business of the year.
nGreenwood Utilities as big business of the year.
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
