On Friday, February 19, the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce held their Annual Meeting and Dinner at T & B’s Celebration Center. Although the night is the lone time for the membership to meet as a whole for business matters, the room is usually most abuzz for the release of the annual awards. Each year, the chamber’s membership nominates and selects winners for various business and service awards, and this year was no different. When it was all said and done though, the highest honor of the evening went to the one who is full of passion for her community, as Skowhegan Savings own Karen Hart was awarded the Alton W. Whittemore Award, for outstanding lifetime service to the Skowhegan area.

The highlights of the meeting portion of the presentation were an address by Executive Director Cory King and Board President Dan Plante as they described the new look of the Chamber building, the successful events that took place in 2009 and the introduction of the Board of Directors including new board member Jamie Doiron of Cedar Ridge Center. Also there was the completion of a yearlong project where the membership voted on and accepted some slight changes to the bylaws of the organization that the Board of Directors had spent 12 months reviewing and adapting.

The awards ceremony followed the presentations and two businesses and four individuals were recognized for their achievements. First were the awards for Outstanding Service given to Susan Hoyt-Russell and Russ Westcott for their six years of participation on the Board of Directors. As stated by the bylaws of the organization, a board member can only serve a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms and both Susan and Russ did just that, giving countless hours and dedication to the organization. The other awards went to two individuals and two businesses that came from member nominations and then a final vote over a four-week period.

Volunteer of the Year is an award that goes to the individual that has shone throughout the past year a selfless dedication to the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce by helping in the office, at special events and wherever needed. This award embodies what giving back to the community is all about and the honor proudly went this year to Gary York of York Signs. Gary was influential in 2009 with donating time and resources to improve the exterior of the chamber office building at 23 Commercial Street and also volunteered at several events most notably at Bike Night and the Haunted Hayrides. Other nominees included, Susan Hoyt-Russell, Naomi Schmand, Dan Plante and Julie Goldsmith.

Small Business of the Year goes to the member business or service organization that is community-minded, visible and offers customers and clients outstanding products and service. This year’s award went to the Skowhegan Farmer’s Market. The market truly encompasses all the values of the award being one of the most recognizable and active groups in the state, offering public entertainment, high quality foods and friendly service. Additionally the market has teamed up with local businesses and groups for special dinners and events including the Chamber’s Bike Night. The other nominees in this category included Heritage House Restaurant, York Signs, Lynch Landscaping and Franklin-Somerset Federal Credit Union. As side note, this category was the most competitive with the top three businesses separated by less than five total votes.

Large Business of the Year goes to a member business that is progressive and community service-minded having an appealing appearance and providing a positive work environment for their employees. All of the nominees this year were vital in the sponsoring of Chamber events and encouraging their employees to become active volunteers. The winner of the Large Business of the Year was Skowhegan Savings. Their support this past year and nearly every year, is completely overwhelming, but that can be said for any of the five nominees. The others up for the award included Hight Family of Dealerships, Central Maine Family Fun Center, Cedar Ridge Center and Redington-Fairview General Hospital.

The final award of the evening is the Alton W. Whittemore award which is given in honor of a man who gave all of himself to the Skowhegan community and a big portion of that was given to the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce. The award goes to the person who over a number of years has given to the local communities as Alton did with strong leadership and a kind heart. As opposed to the other awards this one is more of a lifetime achievement award and is only in its fourth year being given which makes it very special as well. This year’s proud recipient is Karen Hart of Skowhegan Savings. Karen has given selflessly and tirelessly of herself to this region through her service and work with leadership roles in the Skowhegan Rotary Club, Main Street Skowhegan, the Run of River project and the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce just to name a few. Her impact has been significant and all that she has accomplished she has done so with kindness, optimism and professionalism. The other nominees, all very deserving in their own right, were Walter Hight, Becky Richardson and Chris Perkins.