Holder This Year’s Top Hand

Clarke Broadcasting Corporation President H. Randolph Holder was honored today as the 2002 Mother Lode Round-up “Top Hand” award winner.

The announcement was made Thursday morning by members of the Tuolumne County Sheriffs Posse who rode up to the South Washington Street radio station studios in downtown Sonora.

Posse members in their trademark red jackets, and Clarke Broadcasting staff, surrounded Holder and his wife Betty, in an office. A brief presentation was made and he was given the traditional gift of a Texas-sized engraved silver belt buckle.

The award left the longtime broadcaster speechless and very surprised.

I´m pleasantly shocked,” Holder, 48, said, adding he never thought he would be given this award. “Honestly, I´m touched. I never expected this in a million years.”

Ty Wivell, Posse Round-up spokesman said Holder is always supportive of the Round-up and Posse as well as other community events and groups. Wivell says this year´s decision was an easy one to make.

“It wasn´t a very difficult task to pick Randolph,” Wivell said. “He´s great,and he has a great attitude.”

The Posse leader said the staff of the radio stations, Sign Pro and Mother Lode Internet are also supportive and reflect Holder´s personality.

“I do feel that the people who work for him reflect the attitude of the man at the top,” Wivell said.

Holder is past president of the Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce, past director of the Sierra Arts Council, founding board member of the ABBA Teen Center, past president and past director of the Economic Development Company of Tuolumne County and donor to Sonora Community Hospital, member and past president of the Sonora 49er Rotary Club.

Holder, whose family has owned Clarke Broadcasting Corporation since 1956, now joins recent past Top Hand winners Harvey McGee(1997), Dick Nutting (1998), Irving Symons (1999), Carlo DeFerrari(2000) and Chris Batemen (2001).