NEK 20th Businesses Celebration

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Created on Thursday, 06 November 2014 20:35
Written by Yolanda Liang

nek chamberNORTHEAST KINGDOM - Over 150 people came to the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce’s 20th annual business celebration on Wednesday afternoon. This was the business communities’ biggest celebration of the year, and a tradition of celebrating th business of Northeast Kingdom that started in 1995.

The NEK Chamber is located at the Green Mountain Mall with around 350 members, handling travel promotion, community/economic development, legislative/governmental relations, business networking and promotion of regional projects.

This annual celebration has become an important tradition of the Northeast Kingdom business community and honors businesses, groups and employees who have achieved remarkable growth and improvement of the year.

NEK Chamber Executive Director Darcie McCann said, “It allows people to get a snapshot of all the things going on around the area and region and spread the news.”

It was also the first time the Employee of the Year Award of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce was awarded, and those honors went to Alan Tanner and Dennis Smith.

McCann said the idea of having the Employee of the Year Award came from Brian Katrina, member of the NEK Chamber of Commerce committee.

“He said we wouldn’t be Weidmann, if we didn’t have the employees who didn’t put in their hearts and souls into this job. It wouldn’t succeed for the decades that it was,” said McCann. “So he really came up with the idea of singling out employees for special things that they do. The unsung heroes. So that’s why we did it this year.”

Headmaster of St. Johnsbury Academy Tom Lovitt was proud of the honor for Dennis Smith. “I am grateful to the Chamber for letting me bring all his hard work and everything he brings to his work and his community. So great opportunity and very happy for him,” said Lovitt.

When talking about Smith’s influential role at the academy, Lovitt said, “He has a can-do attitude and will do anything you ask of him. If you got a bat in your house, he will come in and chase it out for your regardless of the time of day. He must sleep with his phone because he is available 24/7.”

McCann mentioned at the end that she would like the businesses and organizations to keep them informed of good news, achievements, and honors.

“We really try, the five chambers, to get all the information that we possibly can about the business. We really need their help, to be our eyes and ears out there. Please let us know what’s going on out there.”