 The evening was a wrap-up of 2010 and the success the chamber
experienced under the past president, Deron Powell, and a "ringing
in" of the new year with the 2011 president, Donna Boyd. Community
members from all over Logan County came together to take pride in
the chamber's accomplishments and embark on a new year.
The Pride and Progress Awards, sponsored by the chamber's
executive committee, are designed to recognize outstanding
achievement and promote positive awareness of local businesses. The
Pride and Progress Awards celebrate and acknowledge excellence,
innovation, initiative and community involvement. They are a
thank-you to those who go the extra mile to make Logan County a
great place to live, work and play.
The chamber's Pride and Progress Awards are nominated by
community members and judged independently by a committee, using
scoring criteria for questions related to the award. All scores are
then tabulated.
The 2010 nominations resulted in the following.
The New Business of the Year was given to The Owl's Roost because
they opened in 2010, offering a nice place to go for a wide range of
beverages and good homemade food. The owners have turned an
abandoned storefront into a great place on the downtown square to
enjoy time with friends, host an event or small gathering. The
Malkowskis, as owners of The Owl's Roost, have invested in the
community and made it their home.
The Beautification Award winner, Integrity Data, took an eyesore
in downtown Lincoln and restored it into a state-of-the-art office
complex that is a complement to the downtown historic area. The
award winner took their vision and made it a reality with the
daunting and costly task of transforming an ill-repaired historic
landmark into a showpiece. They've taken great pride in keeping the
construction business local whenever possible on this project.
They've set the standard on how historic renovation should be done.
The results speak for themselves and truly have made Lincoln and
Logan County a more beautiful place to live.
Logan Lanes received the Excellence in Service Award for offering
a free community room for birthday parties, baby showers, card clubs
and game clubs. This business provides a service and entertainment,
fulfills a need, and is an asset to the community. Many employees
who work for the business say the atmosphere is that of a family. In
the past the business has helped by hosting benefits for family
members of its employees and has helped host area benefits and
fundraisers on a regular basis. Ensuring that customers receive the
best service on a daily basis is what this business believes in. The
business provides a service in Logan County that offers activities
for people of all ages and those with special needs. This business
was open to new ideas and helped the chamber see new success in
2010.
The Ambassador of the Year for 2010 was Mike Fak. He received the
award for attending ribbon-cuts, business after-hours and other
chamber events, encouraging chamber membership and being an overall
ambassador and steward of Logan County. It is rare that there is an
event in Logan County that this person is not in attendance to
support and report.
The Student's Choice Award, new in 2010, went to Qik-n-EZ. This
award was developed as a monthly contest to recognize businesses
that give our local college students great customer service.
Monthly, the winner receives the "This Place Rocks" traveling
trophy, sponsored by Lincoln Daily News. Voting is done by students
through the chamber's website.
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Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital received the 2010 Distinguished
Business of the Year for making Lincoln and Logan County a more
attractive place to live and do business. With the construction of
their new campus, ALMH is taking their commitment to the community
seriously and partnering to offer a state-of-the-art medical
facility with increased presence for outpatient care and therapy.
Expanding, growing and changing to meet the needs of our community
is why Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital received this distinguished
award.
The Mike Abbott Volunteer of the Year went to Vic Martinek, who
has served on the board and on various committees with the chamber
for several years. He is always willing to serve where needed, has
many good ideas and insights, and is diligent in his
responsibilities. You can always count on him to follow through on
whatever he commits to doing. He really is an exemplary volunteer
with a servant's heart. Martinek has given full commitment to every
chamber event, going above and beyond to help the chamber staff and
members. When it comes to the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival, he has
helped to bring a new event to life; he was the man on the scene
making sure that the parade kicked off the festival in a grand way.
The last award of the evening was given by the Illinois Chamber
and the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber. The award for Champion of Free
Enterprise was given to two of our legislators: Sen. Bill Brady, who
was not in attendance, and Rep. Rich Brauer. The award was designed
to recognize legislators who have made special contributions in the
defense of free enterprise and the furtherance of economic
opportunities for Illinoisans. Legislators with ratings averaging 85
percent or better on the chamber's legislative voting score card
over the previous three General Assemblies have demonstrated their
commitment to legislation that frees the entrepreneurial spirit,
thus qualifying for the award.
The chamber's annual dinner and the Pride and Progress Awards are
part of the organization's mission to serve its membership through a
commitment to the economic prosperity of Lincoln and Logan County.
[Text from file received from
the Lincoln/Logan County
Chamber of Commerce]
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