FREDONIA – The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce will be announcing this year’s award recipients during the Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet, taking place Thursday night in Fredonia.
The Economic Development Award will be presented to Southern Tier Brewing Company. One of the fastest growing companies in Chautauqua County, Southern Tier Brewing is known for its craft beers that are now distributed far and wide. Locally, its facility in Lakewood has become a destination for residents and visitors alike who are interested in brewery tours, tastings, and a myriad of festivals and events held there each year.
The Person of the Year Award is going to David Wilkinson, Business Manager of IBEW Local 106. Mr. Wilkinson was instrumental in organizing regional labor unions and local groups to rally to save the NRG plant in Dunkirk in the past year. His leadership and dedication to the project was extraordinarily important to its success. As a result of that work, NRG will convert its plant on the Dunkirk shoreline from coal to natural gas, providing a cleaner and sustained power source as well as maintaining jobs and the county’s single largest taxpaying entity.
Each Community Chamber also chooses a Community Service Award Winner as well.
The Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce selected Tim Shults for its Community Service Award. While overseeing the Shults Auto Group as President and CEO, he serves on the boards of the Salvation Army, Chautauqua Striders, and Southwestern Schools Education Fund. He has also served the Jamestown YMCA and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, among others.
The Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, October 9 at the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia.
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