By Mary Jo Coulehan, Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce
As we kick off an article for the start of 2025, we realize that Jan. 13 is just two weeks away.
That means that you have only two weeks to get your nominations in for the annual Community Awards honoring individuals, businesses and organizations in Archuleta County.
This is the time of year when we should take time to thank the people, businesses and organizations that make our community tick.
All year we attend functions that raise money for our nonprofit agencies so they can provide specialized services to our residents. All year there are hundreds of volunteers in our community who help make these events happen and serve on nonprofit boards. All year there are businesses that donate money, goods and services to organizations so the organization can be profitable.
Now it’s time for you to look around at family members, friends, co-workers, places of business that you frequent and organizations that provide needed services and nominate them for one of the following awards: Citizen, Volunteer, Non-Profit and Small Business of the Year.
In each of the categories, the person or business must have lived or been established in the community for three years. For the Volunteer and Citizen awards, the acts of service may not be a part of their regular work; it must be a volunteer activity. The big differential between the Volunteer and Citizen of the Year is in the Citizen category, the person or persons must have made a lasting impact on the community in one of the following categories: economic, cultural, philanthropic or lifestyle.
As for the Non-Profit or Small Business categories, these entities offer services or give back to the community constantly. They provide services that, without them, amenities and direct service needs in our community would suffer. In the Business of the Year category, the business needs to provide excellent customer service, offer employee benefits or perks, and give back to the community. There are so many businesses here that meet the criteria. Why not thank them by nominating them as a Small Business of the Year?
Nomination forms are available on the Chamber’s website. Click on the graphic for Community Awards on the Chamber’s homepage. That link will take you to the various nomination forms. You can fill out that form or write the nomination on a separate piece of paper.
Nominations are due back to the Chamber by the close of business on Monday, Jan. 13.
The award nominees will be celebrated at our annual gala. This year the Chamber gala and Community Awards will be held on Feb. 7.
You won’t want to miss this event. Think about putting a table together with colleagues or friends to enjoy the fun. More event information will be coming soon. Should you have any questions about the qualifications for any of the community award categories, please contact Mary Jo Coulehan at director@pagosachamber.com or (970) 264-2360.
Take a few minutes to say thank you; let’s honor and celebrate those people and organizations that often we take for granted. We don’t say thank you often enough. Let’s do so now.
Chamber board voting
With the release of the names for the 2025 slate of Chamber Board candidates, there has certainly been a flurry of voting. Voting for these individuals continues until Jan. 17.
Only Chamber member businesses are eligible to cast a ballot.
There is only one ballot per business. Should you have several people or departments in your business or organization, please make sure you collectively decide who to vote for.
Once a ballot is received, any subsequent ballots submitted on behalf of an already recorded business will be voided.
Should you have multiple businesses that are registered as Chamber members, each business will be allowed to cast one ballot.
You may vote for up to three candidates. Should you vote for more than three candidates, the whole ballot will be voided.
Our nominees this year are: Elizabeth Brewer, co-owner of Sage; Christina Gonzales, branch manager with RG Bank; Austin Marchand, owner of Rocky Mountain Balloon Adventures; Cindy Nobles, office manager for Build Pagosa; Tom Sottek, director of people and culture at The Springs Resort; and Rebecca Tenpenny, executive director for Pagosa Community Initiative.
Thank you for taking time to cast your ballot and elect representative for our business community.
