Recognizing Excellence

The Moore Chamber of Commerce will honor outstanding citizen-nominated businesses and individuals through a new awards program. The inaugural “Salute to Excellence” Awards Mixer will take place on Feb. 22, with the goal of being the first of many to celebrate local success.

“Our goal is to recognize and honor those who work to contribute to our community in extraordinary ways,” said Director of Development & Engagement Kelly Arnold. “Work ethic, commitment to service and the ways we care about one another are what we seek to highlight through this initiative.”

Nominations were collected through mid-January. Winners for Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Trailblazer of the Year (Entrepreneur), Rising Star and Employee/Team of the Year highlight business leadership, while the Legacy Award (Lifetime Achievement) and Citizen of the Year will honor individuals with a consistent history of volunteerism, vision and local involvement.

The awards are something Kim Brown, president/CEO of the Moore Chamber of Commerce, has focused on throughout her first year in the role, explained Arnold.

“It is so important to us to let people know their hard work does not go unnoticed,” said Arnold. “The Moore community has a history of coming together through so many circumstances, from natural disasters to our COVID response. We always embrace the challenge and come together. This is our way of recognizing our own.”

Nominations will be previewed by Moore Chamber of Commerce staff but they too will be surprised by the winners named, as all determinations depend on external assessment. All entries will then be mailed to Chamber of Commerce professionals in other communities for independent judging through unbiased evaluation of every individual suggested and each story detailed in the submissions for consideration. Plaques and trophies will be distributed, with additional plans to publicize winners’ stories.

The event is intentionally hosted on a Tuesday during the workday, from 3 pm to 5 pm, to better accommodate the schedules of the working people and busy volunteers. Its premier level sponsor is First United Bank, while executive sponsors are Moore Norman Technology Center and BancFirst.

Tickets to attend cost $50. Find more information at moorechamber.com.

“Moore is an extraordinary city with remarkable people and businesses who regularly go above and beyond to make Moore a better place to live and work,” said Mike Smith, board chair of the Moore Chamber of Commerce. “Our inaugural Salute to Excellence is not only an awards event, but an opportunity to embrace the strong community spirit we witness in Moore on a regular basis.” –19SM

From left, Kathy Gillette, former Chamber President/CEO; Kelly Arnold, Chamber director of development; Kim Brown, current Chamber President/CEO; Carol Motley, Chamber director of membership; Dyndi Gibson (front), McGraw Realtors; Cheryl Patterson, Chamber operations manager; and Jan Astani, Clear View Insurance gather together after a monthly networking lunch.