Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

VALLEY — As a special presentation during Black History Month, a Valley businesswoman with 19 years of experience in tax preparation was honored with a mayor’s proclamation at Monday’s meeting of the Valley City Council. Katina Darden-Dunn is the owner of the Kingdom Business Center, Taxes and More, located off Highway 29 in Valley.

Darden-Dunn started her business nine years ago and has built up a clientele of more than 1,000 people. In addition to tax preparation, she provides other services such as bookkeeping, fax and custom printing while serving as a notary. Darden-Dunn previously did work as the Boys & Girls Club program director, financial advisor for Lanett Hope Tutoring, and hosted Teen Talk With Elder K.”

“Katina Darden-Dunn has set an example through persistence and determination,” the proclamation reads. “She continues every day to self-educate herself in the areas of personal growth, life, business and advocacy for a better future while making an indelible impact on the community.”

The proclamation described her as “a source of admiration and inspiration to not only the citizens of Valley but to the Greater Valley Area as well.”

With husband Reginald Dunn and lots of friends and family members at the meeting to show their support, Darden-Dunn said she was at a loss of words in receiving such an honor.

“There’s a lot of other people you could have chosen for this,” she said, “but I want you to know that I really appreciate it.”

She said the proclamation is also unique because it’s signed by Leonard Riley, who was her principal when she was a senior at Valley High in 1991.

She thanked God for making it all happen and Pastor Willie Eva Hicks of Chosen Generation for being an inspiration. Darden-Dunn said she knows of one person who would have been very happy to see this and would have been glad to speak on her behalf was her late father, James Darden. He passed away last year.

Darden-Dunn said she wanted to thank the city for always helping advise her to do things the right way.

“I am so excited you are recognizing our business this evening,” she said. “We have always tried so hard to do things the right way and to treat people the right way.”