Chamber honors those who make a difference in Ventura. Photo by Sharon Uhlig www.sharonmaephotography.com
On Friday, December 8, nearly 300 people turned out to celebrate the 20th Annual Poinsettia Awards luncheon hosted by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce. The event honored and recognized individuals and organizations that have truly stood out in our community as exemplary in the fields of business, education, and public service. This year, the luncheon was celebrated at the Marriott Ventura Beach and was attended by City officials, legislative representatives and the local business community.
During the event, the Chamber awarded the following:
- Small Business of the Year: MortgageCouch
- Large Business of the Year: Patagonia, Inc.
- Mid-Size Business of the Year: Gold Coast Acura
- Non-Profit of the Year: Ventura Education Partnership
- Citizen of the Year: Tom Spence
- Young Professional of the Year: Jordan Olaes
- Ambassador of the Year: Buzz Noe
- Environmental Excellence: BōKu Superfood
- City of Ventura Employee of the Year: Keith Fowler
- City of Ventura Supervisor of the Year: Kevin Cook
- City of Ventura Firefighter of the Year: Michael Westbrook
- City of Ventura Police officer of the Year: Craig Kelly
- Ventura Unified School District Male Student of the Year: Jesus Lara
- Ventura Unified School District Female Student of the Year: Aaliyah Staples-West
- Ventura Unified School District Educator of the Year: Alma Quezada
- Jewel Key: Tolman & Wiker Insurance Services, LLC
The Ventura Chamber of Commerce is a membership based organization that advocates on behalf of the business community. With nearly 700 members, representing more than 25,000 employees locally, the Chamber engages on a variety of issues that help to drive a strong local economy as The Voice of Business.
