Chamber announces finalists

And the nominees are …
The Jay County Chamber of Commerce announced the finalists for its expanded list of honors — the Jay County Community Awards — Thursday at its annual meeting.
Finalists for Citizen of the Year for 2014 are Janet Bantz, chief executive officer of Crossroads Financial Federal Credit Union; community developer Ami Huffman of Jay County Development Corporation; and retired executive John Young, who led the recent fundraising effort for the Portland Water Park.
Lifetime Achievement Award finalists are longtime Portland Park Board and city council member Neil Medler, owner of Medler’s Furniture; Gloria Green, who led the Early Childhood Education program at First Presbyterian Church in Portland for nearly 40 years; and Pastor Randy Davis, who serves United Methodist churches in Dunkirk and Redkey and spearheaded a program to provide McDonald’s gift cards for military veterans.
Two finalists were named for the Dunkirk Community Commitment Award. They are city councilman Jack Robbins and civic leader Chuck Rife.
Finalists for Industry of the Year are Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Fort Recovery Industries and TLS By Design.
Business of the Year finalists are The Ritz Theatre in Portland, The Commercial Review and Valentine Feed and Supply.
Three new awards are being initiated this year.
Finalists for Non-Profit of the Year are Jay County Special Olympics, Jay-Randolph Developmental Services and United Way of Jay County.
Finalists for Innovator of the Year are FCC (Indiana), Jay Schools administrator Jeremy Gulley and Ramon Loucks of IOM Grain.
Finalists for Young Professional of the Year are Matt Glentzer of Portland Motor Parts, The Commercial Review editor Ray Cooney and Laci Smitley, auctioneer and owner of Patriot Sportswear.
Chamber executive director Dean Sanders said ballots will go out to chamber members next week. Each member will have one vote for each of the awards.
After the ballots are tallied, the awards will be presented at a dinner March 5 in the Jay County High School commons.
Sanders was upbeat about the chamber’s record in 2014 and plans for the future. Chamber membership is now at 274, up by 21 from a year earlier. The goal for 2015 is to top 300, Sanders said.
He noted there had been a 97 percent retention rate for members in 2014.
Sanders drew praise from chamber president Jeanne Houchins, who noted that the executive director had been seriously injured in an auto accident last spring.
“He did not let that slow him down,” she said.
Sanders touted the success of the 2014 Business Expo, the second year of Stars in the Park and the chamber merchant gift certificate program. Merchant gift certificates totaling $103,000 were issued.
“And those dollars stay in Jay County,” said Sanders.
The chamber also recognized a number of local businesses reaching anniversary dates.
Those recognized for 10 years of operations were Bollenbacher and Associates, Indoor Comfort Pros, Patriot Sportswear and Embroidery, The Glass Bonsai, TLS By Design and Wampum Hardware of Pennville.
Recognized for 20 years were Between the Gate and the Fencepost, Bob and Sons Insurance, Gersh’s Carpet Cleaning, Milestone Contractors, Tri-County Surgical and Tyson Mexican Original.
Those recognized for 25 years were 4TC Corporation, Comcast, Pizza Hut, Priority Plastics, Progressive Office Products and The Ritz Theatre.
Recognized for 30 years were Cook’s Nursery and Trim and Dave’s Heating and Cooling.
Forty year anniversaries were recognized for McDonald’s of Portland, Old National Bank, Spencer Apartments and Westminster Village of Muncie.
Other anniversaries included Burkhart Advertising and the Jay County Humane Society, 50 years; Display Craft, 60 years; Medler’s Furniture, 70 years; Jay County Beverage, 80 years; Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, 100 years; ATI Portland Forge, 105 years; Trinity United Methodist Church, 110 years; Baird-Freeman Funeral Home, 120 years; and Ardagh, whose Dunkirk glass container factory traces its roots back 125 years.