Cornerstone Rehabilitation Receives Spotlight Award
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Chamber board member Angie Hodge (center) presented the Business Spotlight Award to Cornerstone Rehabilitation on May 23. Chamber members and Cornerstone employees gathered for the presentation including (from left) Zandra Walker, Courtney Daniels, Bri Parrish, Anita McGehee, Jennifer McGavock, Grant Thompson, Darlene Phillips, Hodge, Randy Goodwin, Jackson Ward, Tina Stevens, Tavi Toles, Anna Harrington, Roger Tollison and Rebecca McGavock.
WATER VALLEY – Cornerstone Rehabilitation, Inc. was presented the Business Spotlight Award by the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 23. Launched in 2016, the spotlight award honors merchants, businesses and individuals who excel in their support of the community and are involved in local activities.
Steve Thompson and Jennifer McGavock founded Cornerstone Rehabilitation in Water Valley in 1997 to provide a local option for physical therapy. The team of qualified health professionals at Cornerstone provide services that include pre and post surgery rehabilitation, falls and balance program, safe patient handling, manual therapy, sports medicine, orthopedic rehabilitation, spine therapy and injury prevention. The support for Cornerstone Rehabilitation’s first location in Water Valley was the catalyst for the business to expand as locations in Batesville, Hernando, Senatobia, Southaven and Oxford were added.
Jennifer McGavock serves as the head physical therapist at the Water Valley location. She moved to Water Valley when the business opened. She is a graduate of UT Memphis with a BS in Physical Therapy and University of Memphis graduate with a BS in Physical Science. She has been a practicing therapist for over a quarter-century. Prior to PT school, Jennifer served in the US Navy as a medical corpsman for eight years.
“We have been truly blessed to have worked in Water Valley for these past 26 years and hope to continue to be a part of this community for years to come,” McGavock shared.
Thompson is a lifelong resident of Water Valley, graduating from Water Valley High School in 1982 and the University of Mississippi, where he double majored with a BS in Education (Biological Sciences) and Sports Medicine.
“I’ve been extremely blessed to be able to do something that I really love as a profession. I never get tired of being able to help people get better. It truly doesn’t feel like work at all – it’s very fulfilling,” Thompson shared about his career.
“Something else very fulfilling is to watch people like Tavi Toles, a PTA here at Cornerstone. I attended to him the night he broke his leg in a football game and rehabbed him afterwards. It’s come full circle , and he’s great at what he does,” Thompson continued. “And Roger Tollison… he was our IT guy who went back to school on the GI Bill to get his degree in Athletic Training. He came back to work at Cornerstone. Roger is a phenomenal Athletic Trainer, and is a clinical instructor for The University of Mississippi’s Athletic Trainers program. Tina Stevens has been with us since 1999 and is a big part of this team. When it gets right down to it – it’s about people – and relationships.”
Thompson’s investment in Main Street was a part of the city’s early revitalization efforts that started in the mid-1990s. Starting with the long-abandoned tractor repair shop that was renovated to house Cornerstone Rehabilitation’s offices and gym, Thompson was also able to renovate the historic Trusty Hotel that now houses eight apartment units, and an adjacent Main Street building – a footprint that all together spanned over 60,000 square feet.
Thompson credited strong community support for the renovation projects.
“So many helped me get things off the ground. I couldn’t have done it by myself. My parents, my friends…they all pitched in. And of course, the support from the community, they showed up. It’s why I call – and have always called Water Valley my home.”
Thompson has been very active in the community and with Chamber of Commerce, serving consecutive one-year terms as Chamber president in 1997 and 1998. As Chamber president, Thompson worked with dedicated volunteers to beautify the city with the addition of multiple murals including the scene on the Chopsticks’ building. His Chamber service also included working with the community to keep the Watermelon Carnival energized. Thompson has also been involved with other organizations including serving on the inaugural board for the Branch of Hope that started the Christian sobriety ministry as part of his passion to help others.
Business Spotlight Drawing for a $25 VISA Gift Card
In honor of this Business Spotlight Award, the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is offering a $25 gift card to the person who can correctly answer this question:
“Where did the name come from?”
All answers will be compiled and the winning name will be drawn on June 9. You have 10 days and two ways to answer between May 31 and June 9. You may reply on the Chamber’s Facebook thread OR stop by the Chamber of Commerce office any time during regular office hours and leave a written answer. The winner will be called OR notified on Facebook. The winner’s name and photograph will be published in the following edition of the Herald.
Steve Thompson’s investment in Main Street was part of the city’s early revitalization efforts that started in the mid-1990s. This photo from 1997 shows Thompson’s Main Street apartment buildings before the renovation.
