The Main Street Association is very fortunate to have many talented and gifted individuals who have willingly shared their time, energy and creative ideas to make the Main Street Association the strong and vital organization that it is. Beginning in 1996, we have honored the following individuals or corporations with our Hats Off Award.
First Recipients
The first recipients of the Hats Off Award in 1996 for their untiring work on behalf of Main Street were:
Norm Berry – K. Norman Berry Architects
Martha Cull – Head of the MSA Visitors & Information Center
Jack Guthrie – Guthrie/Mayes Public Relations
Recent Recipients
Since that time, the Hats Off Award has been presented to the following community leaders who have had significant impacts on Main Street’s continuing growth:
Steve and Amy Trager – Residents of Main Street and Benefactors to Fort Nelson Park (2016)
T.J. Oakley – Bristol Bar & Grill Downtown (2015)
Carol Hensley – Retired as Main Street Association Executive Director that year (2014)
Allan Latts – Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (2014)
Jennifer Bielstein and Lee Waters – Managing Director and Artistic Director (respective) of Actors Theatre in honor of their 50th anniversary (2013)
Todd Spencer – President of Doe-Anderson (2012)
Owsley Brown II – President of Brown-Forman (2011)
Phillip Scherer – Commercial Kentucky and former MSA President
James Hunt – Louisville Arena Project
Family of Cornelius Hubbuch – Founder of Hubbuch & Co. and a founding member of the Main Street Association
Barkside “Biff” Roberts – Retired banker and instrumental in the success of the Louisville Science Center
Gail Becker – Retired Executive Director of the Louisville Science Center
Deb DeLor – Co-owner of DeLor Design Group on Main and Former three-term president of the MSA
Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson – owners of 21c Museum Hotel on Main and developers of Museum Plaza
Marilee Miller – MSA board secretary and owner of Anchorage Press Plays
Marlow Burt – first president of the Kentucky Center and former president of the Main Street Association
David Karem – Waterfront Development Corp. president
Sandy Speer – Executive Director of Actors Theatre
Charles Cash – Director of Metro Planning & Design Services
David L. Armstrong – Former Mayor
Dani Kannapell – Former MSA Executive Director
Jim Walters – Bravura Corp.
Gary Ulmer – with Louisville Slugger Field and the Brown-Forman Corp.
Tom Owen – Metro Councilman and University of Louisville archivist
Jack Hillerich – of Hillerich & Bradsby
Jerry E. Abramson – Former Mayor
Mary Mosely – Galt House Hotel & Suites
The Hats Off Award incorporates a reproduction of the top of one of West Main Street’s art-covered walking sticks (a stack of hats representing Harry Hibbs Hat Company on West Main and created by artist Bob Lockhard) mounted on an actual Main Street brick base.
