Wil Cooksey, former manager of the world's only Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, KY and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Corvette Museum will receive the prestigious Lee Iacocca Award August 21, 2010 at the "Cool Cars, Cool Mountains" Car Show in Gunnison, Colorado. Only 20 car clubs in the United States are designated annually by Mr. Iacocca to select recipients for the award that bears his name. 2010 marks the third year he has chosen the Gunnison Car Club, host of the nation's first carbon neutral car show.
The Iacocca Award was created in 2006 by automobile industry legend and best selling author Lee Iacocca to honor, in his words, "some of the world's most committed classic-car collectors and their passion for maintaining an American tradition."
Mike Callihan, president of the Gunnison Car Club, says the choice of Wil Cooksey for the Iacocca Award was a natural one. "Wil is simply an incredible individual. Whether in the car business, on the boards of non-profit community organizations or on the race track he never gives less than his all out best. It doesn't hurt that he's a car nut from head to toe, either."
A Distinguised Graduate of the Officer's Training School, Cooksey served as an executive officer in the U.S. Army Artillery, 1st Lieutenant. His last assignment was a year in Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Cookey's General Motors career is the epitome of achievement beginning with his first job as an assistant professor in industrial engineering at GMI in Flint, MI. In 1976 he transferred to the St. Louis plant where he held several positions before being transferred to the Doraville plant in Atlanta. After working at various superintendent positions at Doraville, he was named the production manager at the Fairfax plant.
Cooksey takes an active role in the community. He currently serves on the boards of the United Way of Bowling Green, First American Bank, Greenview Hospital, the Kentucky Museum, Western Kentucky University School of Business Advisory Board, Drug Abuse Resistance Education Advisory Council and Advancing Minorities' Interest in Engineering Executive Advisory Board.
In 1997 Cooksey received the "Black Engineer of the Year President's Award." Also in 1997, Austin Peay University named him "Achiever of the Year" in their Focus Program. This year Cooksey received a Presidential Citation from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in HIgher Education in recognition of exemplary experience that honors Tennessee State University. Dollars & Sense Magazine honored COoksey in their 1998 "Salute to America's Best & Brightest Business and Professional Men and Women." Cooksey is featured on the cover of African Americans on Wheels magazine as they named the Corvette the "Best Urban Car of the Year." He has been honored as Outstanding Graduate of Tennessee State and named a "Black Achiever in the Industry" by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Wil Cooksey will receive his Lee Iacocca Award at the Gunnison, Colorado Car Club's 23rd Annual "Cool Cars, Cool Mountains Open Car Show" which runs August 20-22.
