(Seguin) — The Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce has handed out its top awards for 2019. Two Business Excellence Awards were presented this year. The Small Business of the Year Award went to Bryant PC Solutions while Walmart was recognized with this year’s Large Business of the Year Award.
A pair of Community Service Awards were also presented. Honored for their volunteerism throughout the years were Karen Wallock, and couple, Dean and Terry Webb.
Other honorees included the Texas Lutheran University Community Music Academy which was the recipient of this year’s Education Service Award and Jo Ann Maples who was recognized with this year’s Chairman’s Award. Barbara Behal was also recognized as this year’s Ambassador of the Year.
Tuesday night’s banquet also marked a changing of the guard for the chamber’s board of directors. Outgoing Chair Elaine Bennett, of the Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation, recapped the journey that chamber members have made together over this past year.
She says last year, the theme for the chamber was “Synergy.” This past year, under her leadership, it was “Passion.” Now she says the theme is “Reaching New Heights.” Bennett says each of these themes have helped fuel the other for where we are today.
“This year it was a very passionate year simply because we had things going on in the community. A big thing was our school board, the bond passage. The chamber was involved with that, read a resolution for that. We also read a resolution for the GBRA dewatering and to see the community and the chamber along with the city, the county, and State Representative (John) Kuempel all getting involved all for the same purpose — there was passion. This year was very busy but it’s just like one big family. They all came together,” said Bennett.
Following her address to the crowd, Bennett officially turned over the gavel to new Chamber Chairman Doug Parker, of Parker’s City Pharmacy. Parker says the history behind his own business in Seguin illustrates his determination to keep the chamber’s momentum going.
“Parker’s is probably one of the oldest members. I know we are the oldest retail business in Seguin. We started in 1907 and so I think we have probably been members ever since the chamber was started so historically, Parker’s and the chamber go hand in hand but I just believe in what they are all about and that is promoting the business and making it a more beneficial place to do business and a nice place to live and prosper. That is sort of our mission statement and I believe strongly in it ” said Parker.
Parker says despite the change in leadership, the school district and also the preservation of area hydro electric lakes will remain on the chamber’s radar moving forward. While he wants to continue supporting such efforts, it is vital that they do so in the spirit of cooperation so that what is done is done with everyone’s best interest in mind. The passing of the gavel ceremony and all of the chamber awards were presented as part of this year’s 99th annual Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet held at the Seguin Coliseum.