London, KY – Deanna Herrmann, CEO of the London – Laurel County Chamber of Commerce, has been named the 2022 Woman of the Year by the Laurel County Homecoming. Deanna received the award during a reception for Laurel County Homecoming honorees on Sunday, August 14, 2022.

Deanna Herrmann was named CEO of the London-Laurel County Chamber of Commerce in March of 2011. Prior to being named CEO, Deanna was a dedicated volunteer for the Chamber for over 10 years and received awards for her volunteerism, both for herself and her previous employer, The Job Shop Staffing Services. She welcomed the opportunity to lead the Chamber into new growth and adventures. Her goal is to facilitate opportunities for businesses to network and obtain maximum exposure within the London – Laurel County community. Deanna works closely with the City of London, Laurel County Fiscal Court, London Laurel County Economic Development Authority, London Downtown Main Street Program, London-Laurel Tourism Commission, and City of London Tourism to ensure the continued success of London and Laurel County.

Deanna Herrmann, represents the Chamber on multiple boards including The Kentucky Chamber, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives, Leadership Tri-County, Upper Cumberland Foundation, The Saint Joseph London Foundation, and as a member of the London Rotary Club.

During the 2020 KCCE Annual Excellence Awards, which honors local chambers of commerce throughout the Commonwealth, Deanna Herrmann was honored with the prestigious Professional of the Year Award, KCCE’s highest honor.

In 2014 Deanna Herrmann with the cooperation of the Laurel County Board of Education, developed the Work Ready Certification Program for Laurel County students. As a result of this program local businesses and industries can be assured that the students graduating from the Laurel County School system are part of a highly skilled workforce in a competitive economy. Certified students receive a gold seal on their diploma that designates them as Work Ready and specially trained to enter the work force. These students will have shown exemplary behavior, a high level of attendance, and well above average grades throughout their 4 years. They participate in job shadowing opportunities where available. They will also complete the Junior Achievement course “Career Success-How to Get Hired, How to Stay Hired” where they will learn what employers expect and how to market themselves for the career of their choice. Some of the skills developed during this course include communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. They learn how to develop their soft skills and how to prepare for a job interview. They also learn how to research the job industry and find possible high paying employment opportunities based on their skills and interests. Chamber members from the business community volunteer to teach these classes to ensure that every student in the Laurel County School System completes this course. Every year one of those certified students is selected from each high school to receive a scholarship of $1,000 toward their education expenses sponsored by Community Trust Bank.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit it made the traditional implementation of the program impossible. The Chamber produced a video series of the program, with the volunteer assistance of Garry Conley of Minuteman Press and Michael Sliter of Hotwire Productions, ensuring that students engaged in remote-learning could still complete the course.

Most recently, Deanna has been leading the charge on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for Laurel County. Children who can read by third grade are more likely to graduate High School and be successful in the workforce and Deanna has been working on efforts to boost the literacy level of Laurel County students to provide a more exuberant work force for the future.
Deanna has been married to John Herrmann for the past 31 years. They have been blessed with three boys and two daughters-in-law. John and Deanna dedicate many hours to their community and especially where their children and grandchildren are involved. They also enjoy many adventures in their kayaks on the water, camping or riding their bicycles.

You can view the full list of 2022 Laurel County Homecoming honorees at https://laurelcountyhomecoming.com/honorees/.