VALLEY CITY, N.D. - This past Thursday, the Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Chamber Celebration & Awards, a night dedicated to honoring the outstanding individuals and businesses that contribute to the vibrancy of our community.
The evening commenced with a warm welcome from Board President Penny Wolla, followed by a delightful dinner prepared by the Valley City Eagles staff. As attendees enjoyed their meals, each business had the opportunity to give a 30-second introduction, providing a fantastic platform to showcase their contributions to the community.
This year, the Chamber received many remarkable nominations across all categories, making the selection of winners challenging for the Board. Two new categories were introduced this year: Emerging Leader of the Year and Emerging Business of the Year.
We started the awards night with the Community Image Award. Concept Dentistry received this award from their transition at their new location on West Main Street. The structure was completely renovated inside and out to create a warm and welcoming space to provide modern dentistry. The space was designed to consider the current and future needs of a dental clinic to endure long term use of the space. Concept Dentistry helps their patients accept the best care possible and invests in dentistry that improves their lives. They consider their mission statement a commitment to their patients. They deliver on their commitment through collaborative clinical practice, utilization of the latest dental techniques and technology, and continued education of their staff, doctors and patients.
Next, the Community Spirit award was given to Matt Brandvold for his work through Valley City Parks and Recreation. He has been involved in the BBQ Pulled Pork Cookout, Parktoberfest, Riverfest, Summer Nights on Central, Nerf Battles, and the City Block Party. He has been a strong supporter and promoter of Valley City.
Kara Anderson received the Emerging Leader of the Year award for her work in the community both personally and professionally. With her involvement in the Valley City Good Life Campaign, Valley City Calendar, Summer Nights on Central, Valley City Young Professionals Network, and more, she has been able serve as a role model for other young people. She has been involved in the betterment of Valley City by supporting our workforce; whether that’s assisting businesses write job descriptions, post listings online, perform candidate searches and make referrals or working directly with job seekers to create resumes, connect with employers, and submit applications.
Emerging Business of the Year was our next award received by Aesthetica. Heidi says as a member of our community, it is her duty to play a role in the betterment. Everyone must play a different role, using their abilities, skills, talents and energy. As an Emerging Business, a great deal of her time has been placed on growing her business, not only personally, but for the betterment of the community.
The Business of the Year Award was awarded to Thunderbird Ranch Gourmet Food. They operate as a support system for the Open Door Center. The production site and store were intially created to provide a way for clients of the Open Door Center to develop their skilled and grow their independence through gainful employment.
The final award given of the night was the Hi-Line Award. The recipient this year was James Jensen. James is a true champion of Valley City. James has given his time by volunteering on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Sheyenne Community Foundation Board, and CHI Mercy Health Foundation Board. He is a huge supporter of all things Hi-Liner. He has partnered with Valley City Parks and Rec along with many others to put on events in Valley City.
The Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce extends its heartfelt congratulations to all the award winners and thanks its member businesses and organizations for their continuous support and contributions to the local economy.
