The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce’s awards gala is growing!
New for 2021, we’ll celebrate a wide variety of Fox Cities business achievement at one large-scale, in-person event: Celebrate Fox Cities.
Save the date! Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021 will be an evening to remember as leaders from across our community gather at the Red Lion Paper Valley Hotel for a new event that combines the spirit of the Chamber’s Pinnacle Awards Gala, annual Business Awards, and Report to the Community into a single, must-attend dinner and celebration.
Some of the Fox Cities' most prestigious business and leadership awards will be presented, along with a presentation of the Chamber's annual update on goals and priorities, and a memorable keynote address designed to entertain and inspire. Eat, drink, and be merry at the new-look Celebrate Fox Cities Annual Dinner as the Fox Cities social calendar gets back to in-person business this fall.
More details to come; stay tuned!
The last Chamber Business Awards were presented in fall 2020 in virtual format, but we're excited to combine these awards into our new event for 2021. Relive the 2020 celebration and get more information about our most recent award recipients below.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR 2020 BUSINESS AWARDS RECIPIENTS
For more information, please contact Katie Gaffney at kgaffney@foxcitieschamber.com.
ALL-TIME AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Athena® Leadership Award
2019 Recipient: Heather Schimmers - Chief Nursing Officer, Ascension Wisconsin
2018 Recipient: Patti Habeck - President, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin
2017 Recipient: Donna Gehl - President, Image Studios
2016 Recipient: Jean Long Manteufel - Owner, A-1 Moving & Storage
2015 Recipient: Lisa Cruz - Owner, Red Shoes PR
2014 Recipient: Margaret LeBrun, Insight Publications
2013 Recipient: Beth Davis, Community First Credit Union
2012 Recipient: Monica Vomastic, Landmark Staffing Resources Inc.
2011 Recipient: Kathi Seifert, Katapult, LLC
Business Leader Hall of Fame Inductees
2019: Denny Lamers - Chairman of the Board, McMahon Associates; Rollie Stephenson - Chairman of the Board, Faith Technologies
2018: Walter Keller - Founder (retired), Keller, Inc.
2017: Debra Michiels - Owner, Fox Banquets & Rivertyme Catering (retired); Thomas Prosser - Partner, Dunsirn Partners, LLC
2016: Cody Splitt - Attorney (retired); Walt Rugland - Executive Vice President, Thrivent Financial (retired)
2015: John Bergstrom - Chairman and CEO, Bergstrom Corporation; Richard "Dick" Bergstrom - Vice Chairman, Bergstrom Corporation
2014: John Bykowski - SECURA Insurance; Leota Ester - Landmark the Staffing Resource; Dave Voss - Miron Construction
2013: Oscar C. Boldt - The Boldt Company; Catherine Tierney - Community First Credit Union
2012: Paul Hoffman - Hoffman; Bob Keller - J.J. Keller & Associates; Kathi Seifert - Katapult, LLC
2011: William R. Bassett - Chairman of the Board, Bassett Mechanical; Joyce Bytof - Chairman & CEO, Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group, Inc.; John Pfefferle - Chairman, Pfefferle Companies, Inc.
Champion of the Chamber Award
2019 Recipient: Beth Davis - Vice President of Business Development, Community First Credit Union; Sharon Hulce - President/CEO, Employment Resource Group, Inc.
2018 Recipient: Scott Jensen - Director of Marketing & Digital, Wisconsin Herd
2017 Recipient: Richard Parks - Regional Director, Modern Woodmen of America
2016 Recipient: Patrick Minskey - Advisor, Edward Jones
2015 Recipient: Les Van Ornum - Founder, Merchants' Choice Card Services, LLC
2014 Recipient: Dennis Jochman - Bechard Group
2013 Recipient: Ron Zahn - Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group
2012 Recipient: Debra Michiels - Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering
2011 Recipient: Tim Higgins - Owner, ChiRho Services
Entrepreneur of the Year Award
2018 Recipient: Kimberly Stoeger - Owner/Clinical Nutritionist, Nutritional Healing, LLC
2017 Recipient: Doris & Alice Ng - Co-owners, GingeRootz Asian Grille
2016 Recipient:Dave Willems - CEO and Principal, Willems Marketing and Events
2015 Recipient: Brian Gottlieb - Owner, Tundraland
2014 Recipient: Jim Bere - Alta Resources
2013 Recipient: Debra Michiels - Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering
2012 Recipient: Rollie Stephenson - Faith Technologies, Inc.
2011 Recipient: Kevin Eismann - Owner, Epiphany Law, LLC
Gus A. Zuehlke Distinguished Service Award
2019 Recipient: Dr. Susan May - President/CEO Fox Valley Technical College
2018 Recipient: Catherine Tierney - President/Chief Executive Officer, Community First Credit Union
2017 Recipient: Kathi Seifert - President, Katapult, LLC
2016 Recipient: Richard Batley - President, R.B. Batley Hospitality
2015 Recipient: Jon Stellmacher - Retired Senior Vice President, Thrivent Financial
2014 Recipient: Walter S. Rugland - EVP, Thrivent Financial (retired)
2013 Recipient: John Bykowski - SECURA Insurance
2012 Recipient: O.C. Boldt - The Boldt Group
2011 Recipient: John F. Bergstrom - Chairman & CEO, Bergstrom Automotive
Joyce Bytof Exceptional Mentor Award
2019 Recipient: Sherry Coley - Attorney, Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.
2018 Recipient: Joanne Fischer - President, Telecom Insites LLC
2017 Recipient: Donald Herrmann - President, Herrmann Advantage Consulting, LLC
2016 Recipient: Tom Wiltzius - President, Wiltzius Associates
2015 Recipient: Tony Busch - Managing Member, Priora Cash Flow Management, LLC
2014 Recipient: Kathi Seifert - Katapult, LLC
2013 Recipient: Kathy Westover - SOFTSPAN
2012 Recipient: Beth Davis - Community First Credit Union
2011Recipient: Mary Harp-Jirschele - Executive Director, J. J. Keller Foundation, Inc.
Young Professional of the Year Award
2019 Recipient: Lindsay Fenlon - CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters East Central Wisconsin
2018 Recipient: Brad Cebulski - President, BConnected, LLC
2017 Recipient: Nathan Litt - Account Director, Quill Creative
2016 Recipient: Alison Mayer - Corporate Communications Specialist, US Venture
2015 Recipient: Robyn Gruner - Director, External Affairs, AT&T
2014 Recipient: Jason Henderson, Orchard Financial, LLC
2013 Recipient: John Weyenberg, Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity
2012 Recipient: Kip Golden, Miron Construction Co., Inc.
2011 Recipient: Sarah Schneider (was with Schenck at the time)
Business of the Year
Recognizes businesses for outstanding performance, growing and/or increasing jobs, increasing sales, overcoming adversity and community contributions.
2020 Recipients: Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Fox Cities Sign
2019 Recipients: Tundraland Home Improvements, The Chiropractic Advantage, Neenah Foundry
2018 Recipients: Best Western Premier Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center, ABT Foundation Solutions, Inc., JP Graphics, Inc.
2017 Recipients: McMAHON Associates, Inc., CopperLeaf Boutique Hotel & Spa
2016 Recipients: Amerequip, Good Company Restaurant Group, Miron Construction, Weidert Group
2015 Recipients: Menasha Corporation, Alpha-Prime, McClone and Midwest Restoration
2014 Recipients: Advanced Physical Therapy, Frank's Pizza, Galloway Company, Jewelers Mutual, Valley Bakers
Rising Star
Recognizes relatively new "up and coming" small businesses with a unique blend of vision, energy, perseverance and skill. It is for ventures that have been in business less than five years, and has had a strong start with the potential for growing into a prosperous enterprise in the future.
2020 Recipient: Little Critter Pediatric Dentistry
2019 Recipient: NOVO Health
2018 Recipient: JumpStart Auto Repair
2017 Recipient: Inspire Spa
2016 Recipient: Candeo Creative
2015 Recipients: R3NEW, LLC, Nutritional Healing, LLC and Green Gecko, Inc.
2014 Recipients: J&J Machine, BConnected, Wisconsin Self Storage
Entrepreneur of the Year
Recognizes an individual who, through his/her own risk and initiative, has established a thriving and successful business. (This award was previously recognized at the annual Pinnacle Awards Gala.)
2020 Recipient: Patti Purcell - President/Owner, Writing by Design
2018 Recipient: Kimberly Stoeger - Owner/Clinical Nutritionist, Nutritional Healing, LLC
2017 Recipient: Doris & Alice Ng - Co-owners, GingeRootz Asian Grille
2016 Recipient: Dave Willems - CEO and Principal, Willems Marketing and Events
2015 Recipient: Brian Gottlieb - Owner, Tundraland
2014 Recipient: Jim Bere - Alta Resources
Company Innovation
Acknowledges organizations that identify opportunities and execute creative-thinking and calculated risk-taking to bring innovation to the marketplace.
2020 Recipients: Sure-Dry Basement Systems, Appleton International Airport
2019 Recipients: The Boldt Company, clearTREND Research, LLC
2018 Recipient: Blue Door Consulting
2017 Recipients: Miron Construction Co., Inc., Make I.T. SOAR A Program of SOAR Fox Cities
2016 Recipients: Crane Engineering, BConnected, LLC
2015 Recipient: AeroInnovate
2014 Recipients: Optimal Digital Marketing, Omni Resources
Exemplary Marketing Performance
Recognizes organizations that have taken risks around their marketing and promotional practices that have ultimately improved revenue, communication, customer relationships, market share or visibility.
2019 Recipient: Coalesce Marketing and Design
2018 Recipients: Security Luebke Roofing, Nutritional Healing, LLC
2017 Recipients: Verve, a Credit Union, Appleton Ice, Inc.
2016 Recipients: Tundraland, A-mazing Events
2015 Recipients: Fox Valley Technical College and SOAR Fox Cities
2014 Recipients: Petit & Dommershausen, Affinity Medical Group
Corporate Citizen / Leadership
Recognizes organizations with a philosophy of giving and community involvement that have made significant differences in the health and well-being of the Fox Cities. The award encourages and supports corporate social responsibility and community leadership.
2020 Recipients: Community First Credit Union, Wisconsin Veterans Village Association
2019 Recipients: Fox Communities Credit Union, American National Bank Fox Cities
2018 Recipients: Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc., A2Z Design, LLC
2017 Recipients: Miller Electric Mfg. Co.,The Family-91.9 FM
2016 Recipients: SECURA Insurance, Old Glory Honor Flight
2015 Recipients: Innovative Services, Inc. and Stellar Blue Technologies
2014 Recipients: United Way, US Venture