100th Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet

Culpeper Chamber of Commerce

Culpeper Star Exponent

September 8, 2014

Debbie Stohlman

The Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet is a highlight on the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce calendar.  Annually our members gather to celebrate the accomplishments of the past 12 months while looking ahead to the new year.  This November 6th, the Chamber will celebrate its 100th year.

We have a robust committee working to formally recognize this milestone.  Our celebration will focus on the story of the Chamber.  We managed to find quite a few interesting facts in the Local History Room at the Culpeper County Library.  Of particular interest was an article written in July 1949 by Newman Bailey.  At the time he was the organization’s secretary.  As I was reading his article and others contained in the Bicentennial Edition of The Virginia Star, it occurred to me that not much has changed with this Chamber’s mission.  A few tweaks of names, places and dates and you would never know the articles had been written 65 years ago.  The one obvious commonality - it’s the people that made the difference.

Our story and that of Culpeper could not be told if not for the tenacity, determination and dedication of many business owners, residents, volunteers and visionary leaders.  The Culpeper Chamber recognizes the importance of these individuals and values their contributions.  The most anticipated portion of our Annual Meeting is the recognition of individuals and businesses through various awards - Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Young Professional of the Year, Non-profit of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year and the LB Henretty Outstanding Citizen of the Year.  It is a joyous occasion for all recipients - there have been big smiles, tears, disbelief and standing ovations.  

The time has come to gather nominees for these prestigious awards.  We have streamlined the nomination process by accessing the forms at www.culpeperchamber.com.   Membership in the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce is not a requirement for either the nominee or the person making the nomination.  The awards are reflective of the contributions made to the community as a whole.  The criteria for each award, as well as the selection process,  is outlined on the forms.

We invite you to take some time to nominate a deserving person or business.  What better way to recognize their accomplishments and contributions!  Submit your nomination soon, the deadline is October 15, 2014.  The Selection Committee stands ready for some difficult decisions.