Tracy Campbell named CRC Person of the Year 2019

The Butler County Community Resource Council named Tracy Campbell, health educator with the Butler County Health Department, as the Person of the Year 2019 on Friday.

Executive Director Rebeca Pacheco said the selection process for the person of the year involves community input. She said community members nominate people and a committee of previous winners go through to select the new person.

“Each person ranks their choices,” she said. “This year, I believe, we had seven different individuals nominated. We tally up the points and as a group come to consensus. It’s truly picked by the community at large.”

Pacheco said Campbell participates in several of the CRC committees’ work in relation to children and family issues. She said Campbell has a unique skill in connecting with both students and adults effectively during presentations.

“What really makes her stand apart is her interest and collaboration and pulling others in,” she said. “Through that process she develops coalitions and a really high quality product because so many people have worked on it.”

Campbell said she didn’t know the award was coming when she came to the annual partnership luncheon on Friday afternoon. Traditionally, the person receiving the award doesn’t know it’s coming. She said she knew something was happening when her mom and son showed up for the luncheon.

The award, she said, is wonderful to be recognized as somebody working to contribute to the community.

“It was not expected at all,” she said.

Campbell teaches Smart Moves, Smart Choices at Poplar Bluff and Neelyville high schools with the goal of adding another school next year. She’s also taught it at the Butler County Juvenile Center. The program focuses on opioids and addiction.

Additionally, she teaches vaping awareness at schools for both students and staff. She works with local childcare employees on facilitator training once a month.

“I also teach nutrition, physical activity, obesity prevention, you name it,” she said. “A lot of overall health.”

Campbell said she was drawn to teach help topics due to personal health issues in about 2010.

“It was more important to make other people more aware so that what happened to me didn’t also happen to them,” she said. “So that they could have a healthier lifestyle and prevent certain diseases that come along with poor nutrition.”

Going forward, Campbell said her goal is to keep doing what she’s doing.

“I’m just hoping to make a difference,” she said.