Shocco’s Taylor named Talladega citizen of year

Buster Taylor, director of Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega, was named Citizen of the Year 2009 on Feb. 10 by the Greater Talladega Chamber of Commerce.

“I know he has touched many people’s spiritual lives and positively impacted this community in more ways than we can imagine,” said Andy Whiddon, a member of the chamber’s board of directors and first vice president for 2010. “Shocco Springs has grown into a very valuable organization in this community because of Mr. Taylor’s commitment to excellence.”

Taylor, who recently completed 30 years of service at Shocco, has seen the organization’s summer staff grow to more than 200. It served more than 44,000 visitors in 2009.

Chamber members throughout the community submitted nominations for the award, with Taylor receiving the largest number of votes.

Taylor said that while he was surprised to have received the award, he thinks it “substantiates the emphasis we have on serving people at Shocco Springs.” He added that he hopes his being awarded Citizen of the Year “brings to mind the work and mission we have at Shocco Springs; that they (members of the community) would be more aware of the hundreds and thousands of lives that have been changed because of the ministry of Shocco Springs.”