Article from Times Leader on November 16, 2023
PLAINS TWP. — The Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce celebrated the outstanding businesses, organizations and individuals working hard throughout the region to better the community at the chamber’s annual awards dinner held at Mohegan Pennsylvania Thursday evening.
The annual event, presented by Mohegan Pennsylvania, is the chamber’s largest event of the year. The evening featured dinner and drinks, music, and an awards presentation emceed by C. David Pedri, President of the Luzerne Foundation and Regional Affairs Director for PPL Alana Roberts.
“Super excited to see this many people come out to support the chamber and all of our honorees tonight,” said Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce President Lindsay Griffin-Boylan before the awards presentation began.
According to Griffin-Boylan, over 400 people registered to attend the event.
“It’s great to see the community celebrating our year and not just what we did, but collectively as a community,” she said.
This year, the chamber gave out a brand new award as well. The Regional Collaboration Award was given out to three recipients: Arts at Hayfield and Penn State Wilkes-Barre, the Wild Women NEPA, and the Wilkes-Barre NAACP Branch #2306.
“It’s really to highlight people that work together for the the greater good,” Griffin-Boylan said.
The Charitable Organization of the Year award went to Dinners for Kids, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing healthy meals to at-risk children through out NEPA. The organization feeds 248 kids a day, six days a week, with an additional 120 kids on the waiting list.
“We’re honored and we’re obviously excited about the recognition,” said board chairman Bob Borwick. “Any opportunity to promote Dinners for Kids in the community ans feed hungry children is what we’re all about.”
Businesses old and new were honored as well, including Perfect Storm Renovations, which took home the Emerging Business of the Year award. The business also sponsored the Regional Collaboration Award.
Williams thanked his team, as well as the chamber, for welcoming the business into the community.
“You guys made it easy for us to excel,” Williams said.
Also at the event, the chamber announced that it will be restructuring what was formerly Wilkes-Barre Connect to better reflect the program’s geographic range of assistant. Moving forward, the program will be re-branded as simply Connect. More details about this change will be made available in the new year.
The chamber also honored one of its own Thursday night. Griffin-Boylan took home the ATHENA Leadership Award. ATHENA is an international award program that honors women who strive to serve as a mentors and role models to help women reach their full leadership potential.
“It’s very surreal to me,” Griffin-Boylan said with a laugh. “I usually give out the awards.”
For Griffin-Boylan, it was an emotional night and she took time during her award’s speech to thank all of the women who had came before her, shattered glass ceilings and helped pave the way for her to succeed.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart and I hope to do the same for others.”
Other 2023 honorees include:
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Peter Danchak, Regional President of the Northeast Pa. Region of PNC
• Legacy Business of the Year Award – Lewith & Freeman Real Estate, Inc.
• Diversity Champion Business of the Year Award – Geisinger
• Pride of Place Awards – Allied Services Center City Skilled Nursing and D&D Realty
• Healthy Workplace of the Year Award – Benco Dental
