Chamber honors members, community leaders
Submitted by Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County
Fremont – There were more than 200 people in attendance when the Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County presented community-wide awards to four Individuals and recognized three chamber members with awards at its 72nd annual Awards Banquet.
Chamber members receiving the Member of the Year Awards were as follows: Small Business – Polter Real Estate; Medium Business – Zimmerman Building Company; and Large Business – Valley View Health Campus. These awards are given in recognition of their outstanding involvement in the Chamber of Commerce, their business achievements and community support.
Thomas Bowlus received the Citizen of the Year Award; Timothy Myers received the Award of Excellence; Jackie Price was presented with the Clark Ambassador Award; and Janelle Ray was presented with the Distinguished Service Award.
Bowlus, owner of Bowlus Law Firm and Park Avenue Title, was presented with the Citizen of the Year Award in recognition of his devotion to the general welfare of Sandusky County, above and beyond his profession. The areas of his involvement include but are not limited to Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County Board of Trustees, Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scouts, Kiwanis Club Board Member and Committee Chair, Sandusky County Communities Foundation Board Secretary, Terra Music Advisory Council, Fremont Ross Alumni Band, Downtown Fremont, Inc., Sandusky County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Sandusky County Chapter of The OSU Alumni Association, and Memorial Hospital Foundation Board. He is a past president of the Sandusky County Bar Association, current member of the Ohio State Bar Association and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000. He is also active in Grace Lutheran Church, has a black belt in Taekwondo, serves as owner and Editor-in- Chief of Bass Gear Magazine and performs in local music groups.
Myers is the recipient of the Chamber’s Award of Excellence. This award is given to recognize an individual not only for professional achievement and community service, but also for actively and generously mentoring others in the attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. Tim, President of Century Die Company, is a classroom consultant for the Chamber’s REACH career education program, where he mentors students at Lutz Elementary School. He provides a program at Century Die called “Moldmaker for a Day” where 7th-12th graders receive a hands-on experience learning about opportunities in skilled trades. He is also involved in his company’s state-approved apprenticeship program and founded the Green Box Derby a few years ago, which is designed to educate and promote manufacturing and skilled trades opportunities to young adults. Tim serves on the THINK Manufacturing Committee of the Sandusky County Economic Development Corporation and was the 2017 Chairman of the annual Sandusky County Manufacturing Career Showcase at Terra, an event that was created to raise awareness of opportunities in the field of advanced manufacturing, to change perceptions about employment in today’s manufacturing environment and to ensure a sufficient supply of talent for the future. He was recently recognized by the American Mold Builders Association as the first-place winner of its Educational Outreach Award in honor of Manufacturing Day 2017. Myers is a chamber board member and is the chairman of the Chamber’s Education & Workforce Development Committee. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of Terra State Community College and Vanguard- Sentinel Career and Technology Centers. Price, branch manager of Time Staffing, Inc. in Fremont, was presented with the Clark Ambassador Award. The Clark Ambassador Award originated in 2002 in honor of the late Ted Clark, who was an enthusiastic member of the Chamber’s Ambassador Committee that supported the Mission, Vision, and Values of the Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County with his time, talents, and dedication. Jackie joined our Chamber Ambassadors Committee in 2015 and has attended and volunteered at many of our events. When asked to serve as the Member Care Ambassador for new members, she responds quickly and enthusiastically with a yes every time. She currently serves as a classroom consultant for the Chamber REACH program and has volunteered as a group leader for THINK Manufacturing Career Day for the past three years. She is also a member of this year’s Leadership Sandusky County class. Price has worked her way up through the ranks at Time Staffing and in 2014, earned their Employee of the Year Award. This past year, she has earned her Certified Staffing Professional Certification through the American Staffing Association, which is viewed as “an essential credential for staffing professionals.”
Ray, Community Services Representative for Valley View Health Campus, was presented with the Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award is given to someone who, in the day-to-day practice of their profession or vocation, has served the community well, with special considerations to service over and above what other practitioners of the same profession or vocation would normally have done. According to Janelle’s nomination form, she is a “bright, shining star that seems to appear everywhere! By her smile and her actions, she shows that she truly loves her job.” In addition to the service she provides for Valley View Health Campus, she is a member of Soroptimist International of Fremont, Exchange Club of Fremont and Chair of the Chamber Ambassador Committee. Janelle is also involved in the Chamber’s REACH program at Hayes Elementary School, where she teaches 5th graders about the “world of work.”
The Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 2017 accomplishments and provided an outlook for 2018 to their members. In addition, they thanked the Fremont Federal Credit Union for their support and recognized Board of Trustees and many volunteers. The Chamber welcomed incoming 2018 Board of Trustees members Bethany Brown, Tim Ellenberger and Dave Hasselbach. Dr. Ryan Zimmerman of Westview Veterinary Hospital will serve as Chair of the Board for 2018. The Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County has been serving the Business Community since 1946. For more information call 419-332-1591 or visit www.scchamber.org
