Scene & Heard - Fond Farewell: Crowd celebrates a downtown advocate

People who champion downtown Winston-Salem gathered Wednesday night in the Nissen Building foyer to say goodbye to the person many refer to as "Miss Winston-Salem." Glenda Keels retired from the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership after 37 years of service.

Keels started her career as a city employee and ended it as the vice president of the partnership last Tuesday. Twenty-four hours after her last day at work, downtown was still very much Keels' baby.

"This downtown is the only thing that can't be replicated anywhere else," Keels said. "It is so precious, and we need to nurture it to full blossom."

Jason Thiel, the president of the partnership, led others in giving credit for that growth to the woman who welcomed him to town three years ago. "They don't make them like Glenda any more," he said. Citing her enormous networking skills, he joked, "We could have auctioned off her Rolodex for a lot of money."

Thiel named a long list of programs that Keels worked on, and he said that his office staff would continue to rely on her expertise. "We've got her phone number on speed dial," he said. The staff members she leaves behind joined others in wishing her well as she begins her retirement. They include Jacqueline Gardiner-Veal, Mary Charlotte Hinkle, Justin Gomez and Kevin McHugh. Each spoke about how much they had learned from working with Keels. One of several gifts presented was a priceless framed photograph of Keels, beaming from the back of a scooter driven by Gomez.

Suzy Baxter, the Nissen Building's property manager, is fast becoming the "hostess with the mostest." She and Rodney Davis, the assistant manager, dressed up the common area with red poinsettias, candles and elegant whitelinen tablecloths. Souphab Daoheang, the owner of Downtown Thai on Fourth Street, spread an impressive feast.

Dr. Keith Kooken and his wife, Ruth, visited the building for the first time since its renovation into apartments. Keith Kooken remembered the days when his answering service was upstairs. The Kookens, considered downtown pioneers, moved into a loft on Fifth Street about 15 years ago. "Glenda got me involved in downtown before we even moved in," Ruth Kooken said.

The highlight of the night was a mild roasting, with Steve Snelgrove, the chairman of the partnership's board leading the way on what he called "a momentous occasion." He called Keels "the glue that has held this community together" and said that the partnership "owes her tremendous gratitude."

Keels started her work with the city 37 years ago. A fellow employee at the time was Allen Joines. Now the mayor, Joines delighted the crowd with the story of the time he went into a vault to change clothes for a baseball game and locked himself in. Keels rescued him. All joking aside, he said she has "made a demonstrable impact on this city."

Among those in the crowd applauding were Dan Besse and Wanda Merschel, members of the city council.

Larry Stephenson, the marketing director at Piedmont Federal, talked about his history with Keels at Gray High School and as a partnership board member and chairman of Salute!, the downtown wine festival. "She has changed a lot less than I have over the years," he joked.

The crowd called for "the mayor of Trade Street" to make his remarks, and Mike Coe took the microphone. "She turned my life topsy-turvy," he said, telling the story of her encouragement of his downtown investments. "I've never met a person who warmed up to a person like me so fast."

Keels was at times overcome by emotion as she thanked her friends and family, some of whom came from Raleigh and Greenville, S.C., to join the celebration. She was joined by her husband, Ken; her sister and brother-in-law Shirley and Bill Keels; sister Jean Bradford; nephew John Bradford; daughter Stacy Lumpkin; and twin granddaughters Haffye and Caroline Lumpkin. The "young, pretty daughter," Haffye Sewell, had the crowd in stitches when she took the microphone. "We're so glad to hear that she's going to continue working on committees, because that means she'll stay out of our beeswax," Sewell joked.

One of the faces in the crowd was Lou Baldwin, the president of Baldwin Properties. Baldwin serves as a facilitator for "Downtown 101," learning sessions sponsored by the partnership and designed to encourage people to live and work downtown. "I've always said that Winston-Salem should have a statue of Glenda on Fourth Street," Baldwin said. "She's always at the center of things."

Some of the most effusive speakers were Keels' fellow graduates of Gray High, including Milton Crotts. Crotts said he kissed her in the first grade at his birthday party but couldn't work up the nerve to repeat the performance when he took her to the prom. He made up for that omission Wednesday night.

Peter Grzan, the manager of the Piedmont Club, appeared briefly, calling Keels "a powerhouse."

Rence Callahan, next year's chairman of the partnership board, and Keels sparred gently with references to past debates over various issues. There was no question, however, about their support and admiration for each other. "Glenda's heart has always been downtown, and she's always worked to make it the best place it can be," Callahan said.

Richard Emmett, the chief operating officer for the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, remembered Keels' welcome when he moved to Winston-Salem from Bar Harbor, Mich., in 1996. He thanked her for helping him market film and music events at the former Horse's Mouth Coffee House. "She was always a champion for the little person," he said.

Lynette Matthews-Murphy, an events coordinator with ties to the partnership, joked that she and Keels had worked together so much that they had started to look like sisters. "She has touched all of us in a very special way," she said. "She has left a mark on downtown and on my heart." Holding back tears, she said what we all felt: "Glenda, we will miss you greatly."

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