It is truly an honor to introduce our speaker today. He was born in the bluegrass state that note. We know that party is a man of good sense because he stayed. It is rumored that he wears the color orange around the year, save basketball season. After all, no man is perfect. What dr. Hardy continues to perfect is his understanding of the past. He and i first met when he was working here for the east Tennessee Historical society in the education department. He, alongside lisa oakley, who is with us today, worked tirelessly to build a network of teachers throughout the region who understood the power of local history in the classroom. They also worked tirelessly to create a network of students, both in high school and middle school, who are competing at the highest levels in the National History day competitions. Despite that workload, dr. Hardy was always generous with his time with me. He proved to be an invaluable resource on projects dealing with Abraham Lincoln, the sesquicentennial