Kenton County recognized 2020 Pioneer Award honoree Burr Travis for his exceptional commitment to the community.
Burr Travis retired after 38 years as a criminal defense attorney for the express purpose of volunteering as an assistant prosecutor in the Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office. Travis saw a need to treat defendants with addiction related charges differently. His leadership, devotion, and volunteered time led to the establishment of the Heroin Expedited Addiction Recovery & Treatment (HEART) program, which has since been recognized on state and national levels for innovation.
Since 1977, Burr Travis has collected donations to buy toys as Christmas presents for needy children, as well as sponsoring a Christmas dinner for the homeless. Over the last 44 years, he has provided over 100,000 toys to children in need. He has donated his time to different community organizations such as: Transitions, Board of Directors of the Kentucky Racing Health and Welfare Commission, Board of Directors of Old School, Chairman (2008-2017) of Licensing for the Kentucky Racing Commission, and the Board for the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
Travis has been the recipient of numerous awards during his career such as the NorthKey Community Care 2017 Ray of Hope Award, Transitions 2016 Tin Cup Award, Oasis Man of the Year, and the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Kentucky President Award.
The Kenton County Pioneer Award honors living residents of Kenton County who have a record of outstanding service to the community and exemplify the highest standards of personal integrity. The Pioneer Award honors those who demonstrate servant leadership combined with awareness of the needs of fellow residents.
A committee, composed of the members of the Kenton County Ethics Commission, reviewed the nominations, identified five deserving individuals, and forwarded their names to the Kenton County Fiscal Court for consideration and approval.
The 2020 Pioneer Award recipients are Bill Goetz, Burr Travis, William Funke, Garren Colvin and Arnold Simpson. Past Pioneer Award recipients include Ralph Drees, Mer Grayson, Robert Hoffer, Kim Kitchen, Parker William, Ed Schroeder, Jim Claypool, Mary Hulefeld, Rick Hulefeld, and John Salyers.