Local Employers, Community Leaders Recognized

Boone Chamber Recognizes Local Employers, Community Leaders

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its fourth annual 4 Under 40 Awards on July 23, 2020, at the Harvest House venue in Boone. The event was streamed via Facebook Live due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.

The event was presented in collaboration with Appalachian Commercial Real Estate, with several community sponsors including Mast General Store, BB&T (now Truist) and Boone Drugs Inc. David Jackson, president and CEO of the chamber, emceed the event.

The Nonprofit Business Professional Award was presented to Lane Moody, who is the downtown development coordinator for the town of Boone.

“I moved here 20 years ago, and I think within 24 hours I recognized how special this place is, and I’m grateful that I’m still here, surrounded by these wonderful people who are so creative, so welcoming and so kind. I love our community, and I’m so glad I get to be the cheerleader,” Moody said.

In addition to her work in downtown Boone, Moody is also the town’s Main Street program director, and in 2019, she became the head of the town of Boone Parking Department.

The award for Education Professional was presented to Laura Barry, the basketball coach for both the boys’ and girls’ Watauga High School teams, and the director of Peak Basketball.

A Cary native, Barry played one year of basketball at UNC-Wilmington and her final three years at UNC-Chapel Hill. Barry first started coaching the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BOONE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Seth Sullivan is the 4 Under 40 Business Owner Award winner for 2020.

girls’ basketball team in 2016 and accepted the job to coach the boys’ team in 2019. She founded Peak Basketball in 2018.

James Milner, Appalachian Commercial Real Estate president and owner, presented the Respect Your Elder Award to Ron Henries, who has a 48-year career as an educator and mentor, which includes 10 years served as a member of the Watauga County Board of Education.

The Respect Your Elder Award is “presented to an individual who displays a deep impact as an influencer, motivator and mentor to our emerging leaders of tomorrow.”

Henries was surprised with the award by Scott Elliott, the superintendent of Watauga County Schools, bringing Henries to the venue in time to accept his award.

“Dr. Elliott has expressed several times that he doesn’t believe I’m going to retire. He’s going to get a shock — this time, it’s for real,” Henries said. “It’s all about people — everything we do, it’s about people. I’ve been really lucky with all of the people I’ve had to work with, work for and be around.”

The Business Owner Award was presented to Seth Sullivan, an owner of The Cardinal and Lily’s Snack Bar. Sullivan thanked his restaurants’ staffs, his business partners and the community for “making Boone a wonderful place to live and a great place to own businesses.”

“It’s been a really wild year to be in the restaurant business, but I’ve been very, very thankful the whole time that our businesses are in this community and have the great network of support that we do,” Sullivan said.

The Rising Star Award, which is presented to a community member who “is making a name for themselves within the industry or professional setting,” was presented to Brady Combs.

Combs is a Boone native, a partner at Combs, Tennant & Carpenter, P.C., a former OASIS board member and a member of the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country Board of Trustees.

“I’m a product of this community — it’s a very rewarding place to be … Every moment invested in this community is returned back tenfold,” Combs said. “I stand here on the shoulders of others, and I’m grateful to do so. I look forward to what we can do together.”

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Earlier in the year, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce presented its annual Business of the Year Awards.

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce announced the winners during the fourth annual High Country Economic Kickoff Breakfast on Jan. 16, 2020, at Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock.

The awards were sponsored by the Watauga County Economic Development Commission and Skyline National Bank. Nominations were submitted by Chamber and community members and winners were selected by the Chamber’s Business Development committee. Businesses were awarded based on criteria that includes staying power, growth in sales and/or workforce, innovative products and services, strong response to adversity, contributions to community-oriented projects and use of local resources in business operations.

The Small Business Award

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was given to Los Arcoiris. Since opening its doors in September 1991, Los Arcoiris — also known as “Los Arcos” — has built a loyal following of customers seeking authentic Mexican cuisine combined with cozy hacienda style décor. Owner Alfredo Alverez built the business on the premise of providing menu variety and consistency along with an engaging staff that displays quality customer service.

Moving three times in 28 years, Alverez’s efforts to maximize space for customers and staff helped the business surpass the $1 million mark in sales in 2019. Within the next year, plans include the completed construction of a new bar in its current location — located at 168 Boone Heights Drive in Boone. Over the last several years, Los Arcoiris has expanded outside of Watauga County to include locations in Pineola and Mooresville.

The Large Business Award was accepted by the Animal Emergency Clinic of the High Country. When opening a night and weekend pet care service in Boone 15 years ago, Dr. David Linzey sought to meet a market demand.

That service quickly expanded to Animal Emergency Clinic of the High Country — a 24-hour emergency care practice. Over time Pet Care Clinic of the High Country and Ridge Runner Pet Lodging were added to complete a trio of businesses designed to meet the growing needs of High Country pet owners.

Foggy Pine Books received the Startup Business Award. Mary Ruthless looked to add to the menu of locally owned, independently managed King Street shops when she opened Foggy Pine Books in a quaint, 425-square-foot space in May 2016.