The Wynning Experience is an event planning company owned and operated by Allyson Massie Wynn. The company, started in 1996, “was always something I wanted to do.” said Wynn. A 1982 graduate of Paducah Tilghman High School, Wynn has worked countless hours building her company. “People usually just see the result of an event, the fun part. They don’t see the making of it, the stress, long hours, meetings, on and on…”
Three defining words ‘Plan. Design. Implement’ confidently expresses Wynn’s Winning attitude. After 20 years in the business, she’s courageously battling this ‘new normal’ brought about by COVID-19. Being a successful entrepreneur and a veteran event planner, the business “has its highs and lows - you take it in stride,” said Wynn. Since the first shuttering of businesses,“COVID-19 has totally changed the way we do business. Until March, the focus was on in-person large-scale events for corporate clients. The first to shut down were the large, sponsored, in-person events. All the 2020 events started to go away one at a time until they all were eventually canceled.” The pandemic flipped Wynn’s virtual solutions business on its ear and immediately pivoted from an ‘as needed’ basis to 100 percent virtual. Before Wynn became a successful Chicago businesswoman, a community in far western Kentucky was responsible for her upbringing. “I will forever appreciate growing up in a small town along with the ability to enjoy teenage years without mobile phones, social media, and selfies. Tilghman brings back so many happy memories” said Wynn. 'Hanging out with friends’ was one of the best remembrances of days gone by. One of Wynn’s dear friends from high school, James Teague, passed away last year. Teague was a person that everyone liked. In school, he was this tall nice-looking kid that loved sports, particularly basketball, befriended everyone, and never had an unkind word. Teague received his Bachelor of Science degree from Chicago State, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and achieved one of his lifelong goals of becoming a professor at Broward Community College. He lost his battle with brain cancer leaving behind a wife and two children. Teague was 54 years old. Wynn was very active in high school. Her extra curricular activities included the drill team and the Tilghman Bell. The Tilghman Bell is the high school newspaper founded in 1913 and is still published today. In fact, there’s an online version at tilghmanbell.com. The newspaper, produced by the journalism class, covers news, sports, arts and entertainment, and commentary. It’s here where student expression is encouraged. Wynn was crowned the 1982 Basketball Homecoming Queen by the Paducah Tilghman basketball team. During her years in high school, Wynn had many friends and Teague was one of her dearest. After graduating high school, Wynn attended the University of Kentucky and graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Public Relations and Psychology. Her first move after graduation was to Nashville, Tennessee and within the first couple of months, she met her future husband, Raymond. “I was working at First American Bank and he would probably never admit it but would come to the bank to flirt with me. He would sometimes bring his friends; it was funny,” smiled Wynn. When the two met, Wynn’s husband was a student at Meharry Medical College. After working in the banking industry, Wynn went to work at Meharry Medical College as a researcher and fundraiser. After working at the college, Wynn landed a job with a pharmaceutical company as a sales representative. During this time, she and Raymond married and moved to Rochester, New York. It was in New York that opportunity came knocking and Wynn accepted a job as a special events coordinator and her dream of owning a business was written in the stars. “My family has owned businesses for as long as I can remember so perhaps it was just a natural fit. As they say, nothing beats a failure like a try.’ explained Wynn. Now, 20 years later, the business is still going strong, just pivoting. Wynn has worked on large-scale projects such as the Essence Music Festival, Billboard Music Awards, Oprah Live Your Best Life Tour, and the National Football League Super Bowl. In addition to her business, she published an e-book ‘So you Want to be an Event Planner.” It’s an insider’s look at the event planning industry, the first of a series of books to come. Wynn and Raymond have two sons: Bradford, 26, a business consultant in Atlanta and Nigel, 24, a senior analyst in Chicago. Other than being with her husband and two sons, Wynn enjoys collecting art, fine dining, traveling, and being involved in community-based organizations. “I love to travel and have racked up a few miles and a few stamps in my passport,” said Wynn. She prefers warm weather destinations. In fact, the family’s last vacation was south of the Yucatán Peninsula. “Belize was amazing. Beautiful people, wonderful food, relaxing, no traffic, one of our best vacations.” As Wynn reflected on her successes, she said, “It’s important to surround yourself with people that care about your successes as much as you do.” When asked to describe her perfect day, she said, “Coffee, getting through my things on my to do list and talking with my family.”
1 Comment
Walter Penny is living the life of a ‘well-kept’ man. He’s a PTHS alumni and one of the funniest most genuine people to walk the face of the earth. He’s like finding the shiny penny among a mountain of dull, tarnished coins. It would be an understatement to say ‘what a wonderful life’ Penny has etched out for himself and his two companions. After graduating high school, Penny left for Indiana University to continue his studies and pursue higher education. He completed his degree from Murray State University and “before the ink was dry on my diploma, I was a thousand miles away.” said Penny. Upstate New York was his first adventure. He started working at a summer camp and after honoring his commitment, he and a buddy left for Seattle, Washington. They hit a bump in the road...a glitch, shared Penny. ”We ran out of money in Colorado and I’ve called Denver home ever since.” Colorado has an amazing landscape. The beautiful state boasts desert-like terrain, river canyons, and the snow-covered Rocky Mountains. World-class skiing is part of the allure of Colorado. Mountain skiing in Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge attracts visitors from all over the world. Penny landed a job at one of the Colorado ski mountain shops and managed all of the marketing and advertising for Christy Sports, one of the large ski and snowboard rental and retail companies. Penny said, “ Not bad for a ski bum who started off on the showroom floor selling ski gear.” Norma is Penny’s better half. They met in Colorado at a place called Deli. “I’d driven my motorbike down there to read my book club homework. I saw her in line while I was buying a Yahoo and a Blow Pop. I kept reading the same sentence over and over and finally said to myself…’I’m not going to be the guy that wonders what if.’ So, I got up and said ‘hello’. Shortly after, the two were married. That was 20 years ago. While in Colorado, Penny started dreaming about owning his own company and getting a dog. He hit the jackpot marrying Norma and it was time to make his other dreams a reality. At the time, Penny was working for a pest control company. “I’ve always wanted to strike out on my own with a small business and I’ve always wanted a dog.” As Penny was working the sales angle at Terminix he ran across an article on bed bug dog in a trade magazine. “As an industry insider, I knew bed bugs were going to be mainstream soon and well...bed bug dog.” said Penny. After some research, Penny got his dog, Macaroni, started a company called Colorado Bed Bug K9, and before you know it, his famous bug sniffing dog and company were all over the place. The business became known as the ‘Home of Macaroni the bed bug beagle.’ Penny said business was slow at first and then took off. He made the Denver Post in 2009 as the bed bug problem was growing. Penny and his beagle Macaroni worked in the Denver area and inspected homes, apartment buildings, and hotels for infestations. The duo became celebrities and heroes for those living with the pesky pests. The family of three have been living overseas for a few years. Norma is a FSO (Foreign Service Officer), a diplomat that works for the US Embassy. Their first post was in Caracas, Venezuela. It was here in Caracas that Penny had to leave Venezuela under an ‘Ordered Departure.’ The order required that Penny leave alone, without Norma and Macaroni. “Norma had Macaroni shipped to me shortly after the ‘Ordered Departure’ and we spent three months living in an Airbnb in Miami.” said Penny.
The rental property in Miami was located in a Cuban neighborhood. “My neighbor didn’t speak any English but every morning when I was outside on my deck chair starting my day, she would send her little boy over with a Cuban coffee and a biscotti. He loved Macaroni and would hang out with us while I sipped my coffee.” This is classic Penny...always a friend to all. Like Penny, Macaroni is well-traveled and a friend to all. At the Embassy in Caracas, weekly visits were almost mandatory for five or six of the bureaucratic offices that needed ‘mental health’ breaks and desirable dog therapy. Penny said that diplomats across the world have difficult jobs protecting the homeland. They represent the home country, handle major diplomatic affairs, and preserve the rights of citizens abroad. After Caracas, Penny, Norma, and Macaroni moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. It was the summer of 2019 and their second post. Copenhagen, like Denmark, was ‘so wonderful and challenging for very different reasons,’ said Penny. “Both have amazing things to do, see, and experience.” In fact, one of those amazing things to do was visit Legoland in Billund, Denmark. Penny is a ‘huge’ Lego fan. There was a hiatus from ‘Lego love’ after childhood just up until the Lego movie came out in 2014. Penny said that after the movie, he and Norma stopped by Barnes and Noble. Norma encouraged him to buy a set. “After that it was like being on Alderaan...I was hooked.” Penny has a collection of Legos in the tens of thousands. During his travels he’s acquired so many that most are in storage. After all, Denmark is the home of Lego. Last year, Norma gave Penny a birthday present from Lego heaven...a weekend at Legoland and Lego House. Even Macaroni attended the party. So many things to do abroad. The pair enjoy Formula 1 racing. On their honeymoon they attended their first Grand Prix of Monaco. After that, Penny said they were ‘all in.’ The two have been to just under 10 races all over the Western Hemisphere. In 2018, they traveled to Marseille, France to watch the French Grand Prix. Other activities enjoyed and pursued by Penny and Norma include fine dining. They’ve dined at the French Laundry in southern California and Noma in Copenhagen. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tried duck brain tartare served in the skull of duck.” explained Penny. For those that know Penny well, you may be interested to know he’s picked up a little game called ‘Dungeons and Dragons.’ He said, “I just started playing with a friend from the Embassy. It’s quite the learning curve but I have a great time as Praedo, the rogue half-elf,” chuckled Penny. It may seem that Penny has a lot of free time on his hand, and in fact...he does. He’s one of those ‘rare non-working male EFM (Eligible Family Members).’ He said that most EFM’s are women therefore, these women are his friends. They go to lunch, museums, sightsee, and play Pokemon Go. Penny has friends all over the world which makes this particular virtual game so much fun. He said, “just the other day, we went to an amusement park, Tivoli, and I rode all the scary rides ALONE.” One of the friends was pregnant and the other too afraid. One of the most difficult aspects of life overseas is not seeing family. Penny’s mother died last year and his dad is now living alone. Norma’s parents live in Denver and they worry about their aging family. Penny said it’s not difficult for him and Norma to jump on a plane if necessary. However, COVID-19 has made travel more challenging. According to Penny, Denmark did an excellent job squashing COVID-19 from the start. He said the Danish were very successful early on putting mandatory safety guidelines and protocols in place. Because of these measures, the trio have traveled Denmark during a two week vacation and had lunch in Germany. Masks are required inside, outside, and on all public transit. Penny misses the little things from home like the ‘location and operation of light switches, large refrigerators, and the random way doors open.’ He misses comfort food like spaghettios, Jif and Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream pies. The next post will take place the summer of 2021 in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. This will be their first three year tour. Penny is looking forward to visiting Galapagos, Patagonia, and the Amazon...all will be close and easily accessible. Penny said, “ the work is often difficult and challenging but in the long run, we wouldn’t trade it for anything.” What a life. Paducah Tilghman High School Bleacher Bums in the early 80's. In the early 80’s, MTV launched, ‘Pac-Man’ released, A.I.D.S. hit the U.S., Prince Charles and Lady Diana had their fairytale wedding, and Ronald Reagan was president. Today’s generation is encountering the Harry and Meghan reality show, the pandemic, the Trump/Biden mail-in vote controversy, and the ‘rush to market’ COVID-19 vaccine.
Paducah Tilghman High School Alumni Scott Davis was a product of the 80’s. He attended high school from 1980-1982 along with a slew of friends. When Davis reminisced about the things he missed most about high school, he said, “playing football, wrestling, and hanging out with friends.” In high school, Davis was a member of the football team, wrestling team, track and field, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). His favorite coach was Steve Johnston. Coach Johnston was the nicest person on the face of the earth. He was a ‘big’ man in the eyes of the students. We all knew, it was the size of his heart that took up the most space. Coach Johnston and Davis were friends on the field and off the field. Johnston coached wrestling, football, and track. The pair shared interests in home improvement projects, refinishing furniture, and shooting activities. Davis said, “When Coach Johnston passed away, an invitational wrestling tournament was founded in his honor. He was the PTHS inaugural wrestling coach in the early 70’s.” Johnston also served as an officer in the US Army Reserves. Davis made many friends on the football field and took sports very seriously. He said, “According to Coach Haley, football prepares you for the most important game of all, the game of life.” Coach Dan Haley was the head coach at PTHS in the 70’s and early 80’s. After graduating high school, Davis attended WKCTC and started helping his dad with the family business. His first job after college was at Baptist Health Paducah. He worked in the laundry department and surgery transport. After Baptist, Davis found his career job in the trucking industry. He attended truck driving school, started moving products, and in between gigs, worked as a diesel mechanic. For the past three years, he’s been employed by Nussbaum Transportation Services, Inc. in Hudson, Illinois. Davis spoke briefly about his mother. “We were very close.” said Davis. One of his fondest memories of his mom revolved around his grandparents farm near Benton, Kentucky. "We would gather food from the garden and shuck corn and snap beans. During the fall, you could find us in the tobacco barn stripping tobacco getting it ready for the sale which was either in Hopkinsville, Mayfield or Paducah," said Davis. She passed away in 2002 after a year’s battle with cancer. Two months after his mother died, Davis’ daughter Makayla was born. Makayla is a senior at Caldwell County High School in Princeton, Kentucky. She’s very active in school, just like her daddy. She’s a member of the color guard and plays on a youth bowling team. In fact, she’s qualified for the National Junior Gold tournament for three consecutive years. In order to qualify, you must compete in Junior Gold tournaments, be in good standing with the USBC (United States Bowling Congress) and become a member of Junior Gold. Unfortunately, 2020’s tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. Makayla lives with her mother and stepdad in Princeton, Kentucky while Davis lives with his wife Dee in Evansville, Indiana. Makayla has plans to either attend Eastern Kentucky University and study aviation or enlist in the US Air Force. She hopes to receive a bowling scholarship. Davis is an avid sportsman. One of the greatest experiences of his life was fishing with former PTHS Alumni and professional sports fisherman Mark Menendez. “Going fishing with Mark was a great experience. I learned about fishing seasonal patterns, using different lures and techniques, reading points, and finding underwater structures. I also learned how to operate a high performance bass boat.” Menendez is a Bassmaster Elite Series angler and has been fishing professionally for over 20 years with over 230 tournaments and three professional wins and has won over $1 million dollars in prize money. Menendez graduated the same year as Davis in high school. In planning for the future, Davis and his wife Dee want to travel during their retirement years. After another ten years or more, the two will drive off into the sunset in a new RV on a journey to visit family and friends and potentially become campground hosts. It’s the simple things that make Davis smile. He said,” Being at a Purdue football game with my wife Dee makes me happy.”
The 1990 Blonde Ambition Tour featuring Madonna’s song Vogue captures the essence of Ann E. Shumpert. A graduate of Paducah Tilghman High School class of ‘86, Ann is a person that’s full of life, loves to play, will get down on the dance floor any day of the week, and is crazy about her husband (who coincidentally adores her).
One of the best illustrations of Shumpert's personality would be to compare her to a glass of Dom Perignon. A vibrant, vintage, fresh yet mature, bubbling champagne. She has a smile that’s as big and bright as the red hot lipstick that adorns her lips. She has a huge heart and is very giving. She said, “Sometimes it’s the little things that count and spreading joy is one of them. It doesn’t take much to do a lot.” It’s hard to imagine Shumpert without Jr. The two met while Shumpert was babysitting for Jr.’s older sister, L. Tanya Shumpert. “Sometimes we would hang out at the skating rink with mutual friends,” she said. It was the beginning of a lifelong partnership between two 14 year old kids. Shumpert said, “What’s really funny is we were in the same Head Start class together.” Shumpert and Jr. attended Paducah Tilghman High School and had plans for college after graduating. While at Tilghman, both participated in sports. Shumpert ran track while Jr. “was a sports fanatic and did it all...basketball, football, baseball and choir.” After graduating, Shumpert attended and graduated from WKCTC. Jr. accepted a baseball scholarship from Troy State University and received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. A couple of years later, Shumpert and Jr. said, “I do” on Valentine’s Day at Mount Moriah Missionary Church in Paducah. Shumpert said, “We married young and started having babies young. We were lucky, our support system was BIG.” To the Shumpert's, family means everything. Both Shumpert and Jr. have rewarding careers. For sixteen years, Shumpert worked in accounts payable at The Paducah Sun/Paxton Media Group. In fact, Shumpert forged long-lasting friendships with those at the newspaper. One of the most endearing qualities about Shumpert is her ability to make and keep friendships 'alive'. After leaving the newspaper, Shumpert accepted a job at the Paducah Board of Education in the Finance Department where she's employed today. Jr. has worked at Ashland Chemical in Calvert City as a product supervisor for 15 years. Ashland, formerly ISP, has transformed from a diversified oil and chemicals company into a global specialty materials company. It's one of the bigger plants in Calvert City that keeps so many in our area employed. Shumpert’s love for life and all that it has to offer radiates from the inside out. It shows up in her 'bling', fashion sense, hobbies, attitude, caring nature, and love for family. Her motto is “Live, Love, Laugh.” There are a number of things that Shumpert loves to do and decorating is one of them. She has style and taste that would give Joanna Gaines a run for her money. A designer that's reminiscent of Shumpert's chic style is Tiffany Brooks, dubbed one of the top 20 designers working today by Architectural Digest. Her opulence is considered 'classic with a twist.' She was crowned the Design Star on the 2013 season of HGTV. Shumpert has a similar knack for decorating. She could 'Feng Shui' a broom closet. The couple loves to socialize poolside. Shumpert said, “The cool pool was one of the attractions to buying their home.” If you look closely at the pool pictures, you’ll find little decorating touches that are specific and purposeful down to the coasters on the table. Parties at the couples home are a regular event. Whether it’s a birthday, holiday, or just any day...everyday is the perfect day to get together with family and friends. Shumpert said, “Family is everything to me. I love everything about it. We need each other.” The couple have three children and three grandchildren. Shumpert said, “We have so much fun watching our children and grandchildren grow into their being. I pray for their health and safety.” There’s a competitive side to the Shumpert family. Many, including Shumpert and Jr., are talented athletes. She said, “We love to get together.” Watch out though, this group likes to compete. “We make a competition out of everything, sports, singing, dancing, traveling, exercising, trivia, games, cooking, fashion shows...you name it!” Recently, the couple and extended family traveled to Los Angeles. “We visited the LA Dodgers World Champion Mookie Betts #50.” Betts is one of several well-known professional athletes in the family. Betts helped the Dodgers take home the Commissioner’s Trophy 2020 after a 32 year drought. Terry Shumpert is Jr.'s brother and played professional baseball for the Kansas City Royals. Terry is a former graduate of Paducah Tilghman High School and the University of Kentucky. Another professional baseball player is Nick Shumpert, also a PTHS alumni. He's 23 years old and plays for the Atlanta Braves. George Wilson is a relative of the Shumpert's, PTHS alumni, and former football player for the Buffalo Bills. Each year in Paducah, Wilson hosts a Summer Sportsfest that benefits Paducah Tilghman High School. Chelsey Shumpert is Shumpert's and Jr.'s youngest daughter and a PTHS grad. She plays professional basketball in England. Having so many talented athletes in one family it’s no wonder the competition is fierce. After being together for 40 years, Shumpert said they’ve discussed renewing their wedding vows. It’s been a topic of discussion several times. Shumpert said, “I get all these fairy tale ideas and what it would look like. Then, Jr. says 'cha ching'." Shumpert continued, “Perhaps I could think of something simpler or smaller. Lol.” At the end of the day, it’s “Prayer, family, and just living one day at a time.” It keeps the Shumpert's in their ‘happy place’.
Letitia Moran Harris would make the perfect ‘Sandy’ in the movie 'Grease'. She has a certain innocence in her overall demeanor with a competing alter ego resembling Xena: Warrior Princess. Harris’ two interwoven personas makes it hard to forget her tenacity and kindness as a person and a friend.
The reference to Sandy in Grease is drawn from her unbelievable singing voice. It’s hard to forget her rich, full tone as she sang solos in the Paducah Tilghman High School Choir. Under the direction of Loretta Whitaker, Harris would standout among many of her fellow choir members. Not because she tried to, just because she did. Whitaker was a masterful choral director. Harris said, “She gave me the opportunity to try out for All State Choir my sophomore year. She knew how to get the most out of her students.” Opportunities came fast for Harris her first year of high school. It was during her 10th grade year, a mutual friend introduced her to Steve Harris. Their first date was a Valentine’s Dance and ‘cupid drew back his bow and let his arrow go’ straight into both of their hearts sparking a five year romance and igniting a successful 37 years marriage. “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” After graduating from PTHS, Harris attended Murray State University on a voice scholarship...no surprise, she loved to sing. After declaring a major in music, Harris soon found that it ‘wasn’t for her’ and switched to interior design. “I found out that being a music major was more than just singing, it was writing and composing music, playing a musical instrument, both of which I had no interest in.” said Harris. Changing majors in college is a ‘big deal’ when you’re on a scholarship. Harris had to ‘buck up’ and find a way to pay tuition. After giving back her scholarship, she got a job as secretary to an MSU professor. Somewhere between Harris’ sophomore and junior year, she quit school and married ‘the one’. Cupid hit his target and in 1983, the couple said, “I do”. The newlyweds lived in Louisville, Kentucky while Steve was attending UofL School of Dentistry. Harris got a job working full-time, paying the bills and helping Steve pay for dental school. In 1986, Steve partnered with another dentist and started his first practice. In 1988, he opened his own dental office and Harris became the practice manager. Harris said, “It’s been a blessing working with Steve all of these years.” The two have worked side-by-side since opening the office in Paducah. The couple have two sons, Zach and Eli. Zach is married and lives in Nashville. Eli is engaged and plans to marry in the Spring of 2021. Zach has followed in his mother’s musical footsteps, tackling Nashville as a songwriter. He’s a member of the Writer’s Guild of America and collaborates with many other writers. Currently, he’s writing more as a hobby than a full-time gig. Eli intended on following in his dad’s footsteps and majored in Pre-Dental Biology. After graduating from MSU, he opted to buy his own business, and is currently the CEO and President of West KY Drug and Alcohol Screen in Paducah. As part of ‘giving back’ the Harris’ participate in regular mission trips to Honduras providing free medical care to a children’s home. Each year many dentists embark on mission trips to provide care in foreign countries. It’s not just about extracting teeth, it’s providing oral care for periodontal disease and other oral health problems that are preventable with good education. The Harris’ support “I Am” (Idols Aside Ministries) in Paducah. “I AM” is a ministry that introduces fatherless youth to Christ through sports camps, outdoor retreats, and a mentor program specifically geared for youth aging-out of foster care. The program is a 501(c)(3) that offers spiritual guidance, emotional support, and mentoring to struggling, fatherless, youth. It’s a Christ-centered ministry. The ministry is promoting a virtual event Tuesday, November 10, sharing stories from western Kentucky and central Florida. The program originated in Florida and expanded into our area in 2017. Guests expected are Brandon Cooks and Lance Berkman. Cooks is a wide receiver with the Houston Texans. Berkman or ‘Big Puma’ is a former professional baseball player. Harris has been active in church ministry all of her life. She’s been in the church choir for 34 years at Southland Baptist Temple. Her golden voice with the wide vocal range plays a huge role in the church’s annual “The Gift” performance. “The Gift” is a production about the life story of Christ from birth to resurrection. Over 150 members participate from actors, makeup artists, set design, lighting, and livestock handlers. The production has been ongoing for a number of years. This year's production of "The Gift" will be a drive-thru. Dates are December 3 through December 6 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Southland Baptist Temple in Paducah. Harris enjoys beach vacations in Florida’s panhandle, needlework, crafting, singing, cooking and being a grandma. She said, “The Lord has been good to me and my family. I attribute it all to Him.” As with all of us, the Harris’ haven’t come away completely unscathed in regards to the coronavirus. Last spring, dental offices were one of the first medical practices to shutter due to the pandemic. Harris said, “The practice closed for eight weeks and it was the first time we had to lay-off employees,” she continued, “We still felt blessed with our awesome patients and loyal employees.” “I attribute it all to Him,” said Harris. Faith is the most important aspect of Harris’ life. “God, family, church,” is the order by which she lives her life. “I attribute these values to having a successful marriage and the only way to do life.” Harris is a one of a kind person and everybody that knows her loves her. She’s another shining example of the fine character exemplified in students that graduate from Paducah Tilghman High School. PTHS is a school that takes pride in its students, teachers, and administrators. It’s been ‘that kind of school’ for generations. |
Written by
Liz Latta Archives
July 2021
Categories |