The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce has announced the winners of their Annual 2021 Business and Community Awards. In an attempt to help promote October as “Chamber of Commerce” month, the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce will hold a special awards luncheon, sponsored by Community Bank, NA, to recognize the winners of the awards. The luncheon will take place on Thursday, October 28^th at 11:45 am at Edgewood in Drums. The cost of the luncheon is $25 per person. Reservations are required by Friday, October 22^nd by registering online, calling the Chamber at 455-1509 or emailing .

Winning the 2021 Small Business of the Year Awards, sponsored by the 2006 recipient, Comfort Keepers is for under ten employees, Pete Keselicka State Farm Agency and under fifty employees. The purpose of these awards is to show appreciation and recognition to small businesses in the Greater Hazleton Area and promote the importance of small businesses to the economy and welfare of the entire community. Eligible applicants included any Chamber member business that has no more than 50 full-time employees and is located in the Greater Hazleton area. Judging was based on staying power, growth, community contribution, and overall management philosophy.

The 2021 Large Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is Best Cigar Prices and Best Cigar Pub. The purpose of the award is to show appreciation and recognition to a large business in the Greater Hazleton and promote the importance of large businesses to the economy and welfare of the community. Eligible applicants included any Chamber member business that has more than 50 full-time employees and is located in the Greater Hazleton Area. Judging was based on staying power, growth, community contribution, and overall management philosophy.

 

The 2021 winner of the Volunteer of the Year Award in memory of Rocco Colangelo Sr. & Rocco Colangelo Jr., sponsored by Fyzical Therapy & Balance Center at Hazleton is Donna Marie Barna. The purpose of this award is to extend appreciation to and honor an individual volunteer or volunteers within the Greater Hazleton Area and to promote the importance of volunteerism to the community at large. Eligible applicants included any resident of the Greater Hazleton Area that participates in volunteer work or community service not required by their place of employment.

The 2021 winners of the Pride of Place Awards, sponsored by Tri-Mountain Ventures is Cinema & Drafthouse. The purpose of this award is to recognize local businesses or organizations whose exterior property physically improves or enhances the community and environment in the Greater Hazleton Area. Eligible applicants included any Chamber member business that was located in the Greater Hazleton Area, and the structure must be a commercial or public building.

The 2021 Healthy Workplace of the Year winner, sponsored by the 2006 recipient,

Lehigh Valley Hospital - Hazleton, is EAM Mosca Inc.. The purpose of this award is to recognize a business in the Greater Hazleton Area who is adopting wellness practices into their workplace. Eligible applicants included any Chamber member business located within the Greater Hazleton Area and judging was based on strength and creativity of their workplace wellness initiatives.

The new 2021 Charitable Organization of the Year winner, sponsored by Hayden Power Group is Hazleton Integration Project. The purpose of this award is to recognize any Chamber member non-profit organization within the Greater Hazleton Area who have improved the welfare of the community. Judging was baseded on strength and creativity of their non-profit organization.

The 2021 Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner, sponsored by CAN BE, Inc. is Carolina Polanco. The purpose of this award is promote the development of future business owners and operators within the Greater Hazleton Area. Nominees must be between the ages of 13 and 35, reside or attend school in the Greater Hazleton Area, attend school, high school or college or have successfully completed high school, may be a full time graduate student, dorm students are eligable, have a for-profit business, currently operate within Greater Hazleton, ongoing businesses are eligible, businesses must be in operation for at least three months and must have a client/customer base of three or more. Applicants were judged on staying power, growth and community contribution.

The 2021 Athena Business Woman of the Year, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Hospital – Hazleton is Kelly King. The purpose of this award is to recognize a local businesswoman who has demonstrated the “highest level of professional accomplishment” and is based primarily on professional competency, achievement and dedication.

According to John Patton, Chamber Board member and Awards Program Chairman, “We have initiated these awards to highlight businesses that are located in the Greater Hazleton Area, and to recognize the important role that volunteers play in our community. The judging was extremely difficult with many excellent applicants in each category. However, I feel that the judges made excellent choices with the above-mentioned winners.”

In addition to the business and community awards, the women’s networking committee will be awarding the recipients of their annual Women’s Empowerment Grants. This grant was established to encourage women to pursue training or education that will help them start or advance a career. The target of the grant is women who: are currently working and want to advance in their career through education or training; are returning to the workforce; are seeking to change their current career path and pursue something more in line with their interests or passions and it is intended to be available to those who would not necessarily have access to scholarships or grants. For 2021 the committee chose one $2,000 grant recipient, Jennifer Fisher. Jennifer is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Work and Masters of Public Administration programs at Marywood University. The funds are raised at events coordinated through the Chamber’s women’s networking committee throughout the year, in addition to funding provided by PPL, who has been a supporter of this grant fund, since its inception. In addition for 2021, Jessica Spare from Luzerne Bank held a fundraiser event at her booth at our Annual Golf Outing & On-Course Expo and raised an additional $500 toward the grant fund. The Women’s Networking committee as well as any business woman from throughout Greater Hazleton is encouraged to attend to show their support of this years recipients.