One Hundred Years In The Making...

Culpeper Chamber of Commerce

Culpeper Star Exponent

Publication date:  November 10 , 2014

By:  Debbie Stohlman, Acting President/CEO

It has been a century in the making!  The Culpeper Chamber of Commerce came together for its 100th Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet.  The grand celebration was held last Thursday at Germanna Daniel Technology Center.   In anticipation of this special occasion, the dining room was filled with a capacity crowd eager to honor the organization’s rich heritage.  

The event planning committee began preparation more than a year ago.  They were united in their vision of presenting the Chamber’s story.   A story spanning 100 years can be difficult to capture.  With the focused determination and tenacity of Tom Boyd, Jonathan Krawchuk, Win Carithers and David Durr a short documentary film highlighting the organization’s  accomplishments, collaborations and partnerships was produced and presented that evening.  The film showcased the parallels of the Chamber’s history and that of our community.  The seeds of this business institution were planted shortly after the Civil War.  By 1914, a group of community business leaders formally chartered the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce.

One could not help but be proud of this chamber’s legacy. It is with renewed vigor and commitment, that our 2015 Board of Directors looks forward to opening the door on the next century of service.  The organization is poised to remain a synergistic force in the facilitation of a platform for positive growth, economic vitality, and a vanguard educational system.

Congratulations to the recipients of the chamber’s prestigious annual awards;  Kelsey Carlson, Young Professional of the Year; Al Esh, Entrepreneur of the Year; Cintas, Large Business of the Year; The Free Clinic of Culpeper, Non-profit of the Year; The Ole Country Store and Bakery, Small Business of the Year; Sophie Hudson, 2014 Chairman’s Award; Gary Lee, L.B. Henretty Memorial Outstanding Citizen of the Year.   Thank you for your dedication and service to Culpeper.    

A debt of gratitude is due the event planning committee:  Laura Grigsby, Joann Durr, and Tom Boyd along with staff members Martha Sanford and Linda Dodrill.  Thank you for making this celebration a memorable one.  A special shout out to Culpeper’s own Jonny K, Station Manager, Culpeper Media Network, for the countless hours he spent on the production of the documentary film.