VALDOSTA – The Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards dinner at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center.

The event runs like an awards show. Lee McArthur, chairman of the board, jokingly refers to it as the business community’s Oscars.

As roughly 450 people’s dishes clashed and clanked, speakers stepped onto the stage to present winners with their trophies. Videos and infographics accompanied the speakers as they introduced the finalists in each category.

The first category of the night was the Ambassador of the Year award sponsored by Biotest Plasma Center – Valdosta and presented by Rodney Terrell. 

The ambassadors are a group of volunteers comprised of local business members that do public relations for the chamber. They are commonly seen in the community at ribbon-cutting events wearing green jackets.

The Ambassador of the Year award is presented to a volunteer “who exemplifies outstanding volunteer support, donates countless hours of service and assists with numerous chamber initiatives,” according to chamber representatives. 

In a chamber awards first, Lisa Register and Scott Register of Comfort Keepers tied for the Ambassador of the Year award. The runner-up was Jerry Kozuch of South Georgia Vein Centers.

The next category was for the Members’ Choice Award. Chamber members nominate and elect the winner of this category. A total of 108 nominations were made. The top three nominees were Chicken Salad Chick, La Quinta Inn & Suites and Wilson Eye Center.

The award was sponsored by Wild Adventures Theme Park and was presented by Molly Deese, park general manager.

The winner of the Members’ Choice Award went to Wilson Eye Center for “outstanding customer service.” The Wilson Eye Center was also voted the best overall business in 2019 in The Valdosta Daily Times Best of South Georgia competition and has been a member of the chamber for 39 years.

Next category was the Most Valuable Employee Award sponsored by Teamtemps Personnel Staffing and was presented by Sean Panizzi. The winner of the Most Valuable Employee Award also receives a $1,500 check. The finalists were Mike Delf of Georgia Beer Company, Natisha Pizzaro of Comfort Keepers and Justin Sheehan of Wild Adventures Theme Park.

The winner of the Most Valuable Employee Award went to Pizzaro of Comfort Keepers for “going above and beyond her normal job description.”

Continuing to the next category, Young Professional of the Year award was sponsored by the Georgia Power Company and presented by Joe Brownlee. The finalists were Jessica Catlett of Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority, Kristi Hill of The Valdosta Daily Times and Nick Perry of Ella’s Top Corral. 

Hill won the award for her “positive impact” and “devotion to community service and civic engagement,” chamber officials said.

Halfway through the awards, the Small Business of the Year award was presented by Terry Bennet and sponsored by Renasant Bank. 

The finalists were Event Point, Ray Norton Tire and Auto and Winnersville Elite Cheer and Dance. Three short videos introduced each of the finalists. The award is given to a business “with 20 or fewer employees that demonstrates growth and stability.”

The winner of the Small Business of the Year award was Winnersville Elite Cheer and Dance. Desiree Hagan, program director at Winnersville Cheer, accepted the award.

Nonprofit of the Year was awarded to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Lowndes County for showing “excellence in their organization’s mission,” chamber officials said.

Other finalists were Greater Valdosta United Way, The Haven, Battered Women’s Shelter, and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. The award was sponsored by Saft America Inc. and presented by Chip Wildes.

The BIG Thinker award was presented by Jonathan Miller of Miller Hardware Company and is given to “self-made visionary and successful entrepreneurs who give back to their community,” chamber officials said. 

The winner was Barnes Drug Store, a fourth-generation, family-owned business that has existed longer than the chamber. The drug store had its hand in founding the chamber in 1912.

The final award of the night was the A.L. Girardin Award. Chamber staff decides who receives this award and presents it at the ceremony. It is designated to the member who “made extraordinary contributions to the chamber and the local business community.”

Circling back to the runner up of the Ambassador of the Year Award, Jerry Kozuch of South Georgia Vein Centers won the A.L. Girardin Award for 2020.

McArthur wrapped up the evening by thanking sponsors, the chamber, members and all who made the night possible.