“Stronger Together” was the theme of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce’s 109th annual meeting Thursday evening at the Terre Haute Convention Center; appropriate, since it represented the first time attendees were able to gather together since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s really perfect,” said Mayor Duke Bennett of the Chamber’s slogan. “People will say, ‘The mayor goes and does this stuff.’ Well, the mayor can do whatever the mayor can do, but if you bring in a whole team from the community, things happen and you have an ability to do greater things than you can as a single individual.” Bennett spoke at the beginning of the meeting, while attendees finished their dinners.
He praised the Chamber in an interview. “The Chamber has been a huge part of helping us to get to where we are today,” he said. “It’s kind of a time to celebrate today — we’ve accomplished a lot, we have a lot more to go, but you get a lot of energy from this event, because you’ve got everyone who’s had their hand in it here.”
Three awards were presented to individuals who have excelled in specific areas of leadership, business development, and community development:
Garmong Construction, a nearly century-old company that has grown into one of the state’s leading construction companies, received the Building Business Award, which recognizes the entrepreneurial spirit of a business that has brought significant economic growth to the region.
Garmong’s recent projects include the Terre Haute Convention Center, the new Terre Haute Police Department, and the Vigo County Security Center. Garmong Construction Executive Vice President Brian Kooistra accepted the award on their behalf.
“Garmong has done a great job locally on a lot of projects, including the one we’re standing in,” said Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Kristin Craig. “They’ve done a great job locally, but they’ve also expanded throughout the state, so they’re just a really quality company.”
The award was made possible by CenterPoint Energy.The Wabash River Regional Development Authority received the Building Community Award, which recognizes those responsible for significantly improving the area’s quality of life. Greg Goode, Volunteer Chairman of the RDA Board of Directors, accepted the award.
“They’ve done such great work in making things happen for our entire region,” Craig said.
The award was presented by Indiana State University. Lori Danielson received the Leading Tomorrow Award, which recognizes a community leader, for her work with local organizations such as Ivy Tech, the Indiana Chamber’s Institute for Workforce Excellence, the Vigo County Education Foundation, United Way of the Wabash Valley, Art Spaces, RiverSCAPE, and Meals on Wheels. Danielson accepted the award via a video announcement that was pre-recorded.
“She was very appreciative of the award, and we’re very excited to honor her,” said Craig.
The award was sponsored by RJL Solutions and the Wabash Valley Leadership Institute.Bennett said of the award recipients, “You think, absolutely, that’s a perfect award for those folks, but there are so many who don’t get awards tonight who are doing the same kind of work.”
Tickets to St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Reds games, whiskey and bourbon packages, and pet toys were among the items up for grabs in a silent auction.
source : tribunestar
