Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Members of the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce came together on Saturday, March 8 for the annual Chamber Gala. The event was held at Camp Weed, with dinner served to those who attended. During the event, awards were presented to several individuals to acknowledge their service to the community.
In addition to dinner, attendees were able to enjoy entertainment and a silent auction consisting of trips to Florence, Greece, Ireland, Sedona and Zurich.
Executive Director Danielle Hampton welcomed attendees, while Mayor Frank Davis provided the invocation. They were followed by Chamber President Amanda Jackson, who delivered the State of the Chamber address before dinner was served.
After dinner, JD Curl was presented with an award for his service to the Chamber’s Board of Directors as President for the 2024-25 year, while board member Matt Scott was presented with the Board Member of the Year award.
The 2024 Citizen of the Year, presented by Chamber board member Julie Ulmer, was awarded to Allison Johnson, who organized The Faith Project in Suwannee County. “To be a part of this community is a privilege,” Johnson said on social media. “To be surrounded by so many people who jump at the opportunity to serve others in all capacities is such a beautiful thing. We couldn’t do all we do without every business, person, volunteer, outreach, etc. that help meet every need.”
The 2024 Trailblazer Award was presented by Curl and was awarded to Jerry Taylor. Taylor represented District 1 with the Suwannee County School Board for 28 years until retiring last year. Taylor served as the most recent chairman of the school board before passing the gavel to Ed daSilva.
During the program, Scott and Tommy Miller were also acknowledged, as they are retiring from the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
