The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce celebrated the successes of the past year and revealed priorities for 2023 this past Friday, Crowne Plaza Springfield Convention Center. As part of the celebration, The Chamber, along with Presenting Sponsor, PNC, recognized those who have helped enhance its organization and lead the business community.
Leadership Springfield graduates of the class of 2022, as well as Small Business Award Recipients from the same year were also recognized at the event.
Awards were given to Chamber leaders who went above and beyond their positions to help enhance our members’ success and advocate on their behalf:
President’s Award – presented to Taylor Stevens, SYNERGY HomeCare of Central Illinois, for her commitment to her work on the Ambassador Committee and spearheading a professional clothing drive, a community service event, that was designed to help those trying to get back into the workforce by allowing them to have the necessary clothing to make a great first impression. Stevens is also serving on The Chamber’s newly formed Young Professionals RISE Committee.
Chairman’s Award – presented to Roger Austin, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc., for going above and beyond the call of duty as it relates to his investment of time in The Chamber, the community at-large, and representing the interests of our members. Austin has served as an active member on the Chamber’s Board of Directors for several years, providing steady and thoughtful leadership during the difficult year of the pandemic, 2020, when he served as Chairman of the Board.
Ambassador of the Year Award - 2022 – presented to Maggie Gullo, LRS Web Solutions. The Chamber’s Ambassadors Committee is comprised of local Chamber member professionals that advocate on behalf of The Chamber in a variety of ways, including member contacts, identifying member leads, and attending events such as ribbon cuttings, Chamber on Tap, Coffee & Connections, and committee meetings. A point system is utilized to recognize the accomplishments of its members, and the Award recognizes the hard work and dedication of the individual that earned the most points for the various responsibilities of an Ambassador.
Event sponsors also included CEFCU, Horace Mann and HSHS St. John’s Hospital as premier sponsors; Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Crowne Plaza Springfield Convention Center, Solomon Colors, and Stratus Networks as partner sponsors; Modern Mailing & Printing as print sponsor; Cooper’s Hawk Winery Restaurants as wine sponsor; JnR Mehan Expo Decor as stage decoration sponsor, Ed Clark Photography as photography sponsor, and ContentWorks LLC as graphic design sponsor.