David Paschall, president and CEO of Batteries Plus Bulbs, speaks after his announcement Wednesday, April 27, 2016, as the 2016 Small Business Person of the Year at the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce. (Miranda Pederson/photo@bgdailynews.com)

David Paschall was named the 2016 Small Business Person of the Year by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning and his reaction was: “It should have been someone else besides me.”

Paschall, owner of Batteries Plus Bulbs in Bowling Green was honored along with Athena Award winner Shannon Vitale, financial consultant and assistant branch manager of Hilliard Lyons of Bowling Green.

Paschall began his career working for Interstate Battery. In 1999, Steve Sheldon of Sheldon’s Express Pharmacy bought a Batteries Plus Bulbs franchise in Bowling Green and hired Paschall as his store manager. Paschall later bought the franchise from Shelton and has expanded operations to Clarksville, Tenn., Elizabethtown and Somerset – overseeing about 30 employees.

“Thank you so very much,” Paschall said. “I give the glory to God himself. We are blessed with our business. We’ve got a staff second to none.”

Other small business nominees for 2016 were Robert Warner of Green River Rentals Inc., and Tony Bishop of Hot Yoga Bowling Green. The 2016 Small Business Person of the Year is sponsored by Citizens First Bank.

“How critical small business is to our community,” said chamber Chairman Mark Iverson.

Vitale was named the 31st recipient of the Athena Award.

“This is quite an honor … ,” Vitale said. “It wasn’t anything I did. I am very fortunate to have a fabulous family and a loving work family.”

In 2012, Vitale founded the Women’s Fund of South Central Kentucky, an organization that has given more than $230,000 to groups that have a positive influence on the lives of women and children in the region. She is also chairperson of Commonwealth Health Corp.’s Board of Directors.

Other Athena nominees for 2016 were Vicki Hawkins Fitch of the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Charlene Rabold of Crye Leike Executive Realty, Amanda Ashley of SKY Pediatric Dentistry, Ginger Cleary of State Farm Insurance and Janette Boehman of WBKO-TV.

The Athena Award is sponsored by the chamber and Martin Dodge Jeep Chrysler Ram. 

Both winners will be honored 11:30 a.m. May 19 at the Chamber’s Excellence Awards luncheon at the Knicely Conference Center at Western Kentucky University.

The event is the highlight of Small Business Appreciation Month and will feature both winners as keynote speakers. Online registration is required at www.bgchamber.com. Individual tickets are $32 and corporate sponsor tables of eight are $300, a news release said.

— Follow business reporter Charles A. Mason @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.