Local woman is finalist for ‘Remarkable Women’ initiative

Published 12:58 pm Tuesday, March 7, 2023

By Lynn J. Richardson

An Elizabethton woman is a finalist for WJHL-TV’s Remarkable Women initiative.

Frankie Bailey, owner of The Coffee Company in the city’s downtown district, is one of four finalists being recognized by the station for going “above and beyond” for their communities.

Remarkable Women is part of a nationwide initiative by WJHL’s parent company, Nexstar Media Group, Inc., to honor women’s influence on public policy, social progress and the quality of life. Stories celebrating women’s achievements, their successes and their contributions to their community will be airing throughout the country.

Locally, all four nominees will be announced to the public on Tuesday, March 7. After being honored with tea at the station at 4:30 p.m., they will be introduced to the viewers live at 5:30 p.m. on WJHL. Afterward, each individual candidate will be featured weekly and Bailey will be the first, with her complete story airing on Wednesday, March 8, at 5:30 p.m.

“Nominations were anonymous, so when I was contacted, I was in shock,” Bailey said. “I just felt a lot of gratitude.”

Bailey soon learned that although dozens of women throughout the region had been nominated, she was chosen as one of the top four, something she says is very humbling.

“To know that people are seeing that women are doing remarkable things and taking note makes me very grateful,” Bailey said. “I’m just a fraction of that. There are a lot of remarkable women in this region and to be recognized like this is really special.”

As a result of her selection, WJHL sent news anchor Sarah Diamond to visit The Coffee Company to interview Bailey. “She asked me questions about what it’s like to walk in my shoes, what I do for my business and how I’m involved in the community,” Bailey said. “We talked about how important it is to give back to our community and that volunteering time is just as valuable as finances.

“Then she asked me if I was a role model for younger women in the community. I didn’t quite know what to say about that, so I just said, ‘Gosh, I hope so.’”

In addition to being the owner and operator of The Coffee Company, Bailey is the mother of two daughters, June, 13, and Cora “almost” 10. She is the Chairman of the Board for the Elizabethton Main Street organization for downtown revitalization. She sits on the Elizabethton/Carter County Community Chamber Board, serves on the advisory board for the East Tennessee/Carter County Community Foundation, serves as a committee member of the Boss Lady committee for the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce, and has recently received her certification as a yoga instructor.

According to WJHL’s Paula Jackson, Vice President and General Manager, their parent company, Nexstar, received over 10,000 nominations for Remarkable Women nationwide this year.

“This is Nexstar’s fourth year of Remarkable Women,” Jackson said. “We do this every year in March, which is National Women’s History Month. The campaign is kicked off every year on March 8, National Women’s Day, to tell the often overlooked stories of women who inspire and lead. It’s been just an honor to tell these stories.”

This year, the four finalists were chosen from 122 entries WJHL received from throughout the Tri-Cities.

One of those four finalists will be chosen as the region’s Woman of the Year by a panel of outside judges and will receive a crystal award and $1,000 to be donated to the winner’s favorite non-profit (501 C3) organization.

Once the local Remarkable Woman of the Year candidates are chosen, all local winners from across the nation will be featured in a national broadcast across all Nexstar markets which will air in April. They will also be invited to Los Angeles April 2-4 for a series of events, including an awards ceremony where the Nexstar Woman of the Year will be announced.