Tuscarawas County Chamber announces award recipients
The Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce will honor area businesses and individuals later this month as the organization’s 62nd annual awards celebration will be done virtually for the second year in a row. All of the award recipients will be recognized during the week of Jan. 24 on the chamber’s Facebook page.
Normally, awards for the “Hall of Fame,” “Citizen of the Year” and “Volunteer of the Year” aren’t announced in advance but with the current pandemic that’s not possible this year.
Steve Schillig, director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Kent State Tuscarawas, has been selected as this year’s “Hall of Fame” award recipient. Schillig has been a key financial advisor for the chamber serving as Finance Council chair in two separate stints totaling 12 years of service. He has also been a valuable member of the chamber Governance Council. Through his position as director of the SBDC he has helped many entrepreneurs start their own businesses in the area giving a significant boost to the local economy.
Our 2021 “Citizen of the Year” has made a tremendous impact on education and economic development in Tuscarawas County. This year’s honoree is Dr. Bradley Bielski, Dean and Chief Administrative Officer, for Kent State University at Tuscarawas. Under Dean Bielski’s leadership, enrollment continues to grow, the campus has been recognized for excellence in academic achievement, athletic programs have expanded and capital projects have been completed with more on the way.
In addition to his impact on the campus, Dr. Bielski is extremely active in the community by sharing his talents with a variety of boards serving the business community, healthcare, and social services. Despite a full schedule, Dr. Bielski has found time this year to serve as the current campaign chair for the United Way of Tuscarawas County. He also played a key role in the development of the Multi-County Advanced Manufacturing Corridor project which is focused on workforce development.
Trinity Health System: Twin City Medical Center is the chamber’s “Large Business of the Year’. Medical Center President Dwayne Richardson says despite the challenges of a pandemic “we have managed to grow new services and were ranked number two in our entire company based on patient experience. Our employees are true heroes and are blessed to serve.” The 25-bed facility in Dennison is saving the lives of Tuscarawas County residents on a daily basis as a critical access hospital.
Going green and saving energy are popular phrases in our world today. Triple “S” Energy, owned by Sandy Carpenter, lives by those principles. Her company is this year’s chamber “Small Business of the Year.” Located in New Philadelphia, Ohio the company has been serving the area for 35 years. Nominator Terri Davis says “They always make each individual person and/or company feel like they are the sole focus of Triple “S” Energy.” Carpenter is a member of countless clubs and organizations all geared toward the betterment of our communities.
The Dover-New Philadelphia Kiwanis Club has been selected as the “Organization of the Year.” The club recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. As part of that milestone, the group launched a project to build a new playground complex in Dover City Park. The Dover-New Philadelphia Kiwanis Club is dedicated to improving the lives of area youth by supporting many organizations and providing significant financial support for scholarships.
This year’s chamber “Volunteer of the Year” is Andrea Miley of The Commercial & Savings Bank. She is an active board member who regularly attends Business After Hours events, volunteers at our annual golf outing, is a member of the Governance Council and serves as 1st Vice-Chairman of the chamber board.
Mrs. Laura Lindon, a high school teacher for the Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools, has been chosen to receive this year’s “Educator of the Year” honor. She has spent the last 36 years teaching English and Literature. Her nomination was submitted by Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools Superintendent Mark Murphy. He commented “Mrs. Lindon is an inspiration to her students, colleagues, and literally everyone she meets. Her teaching is masterful. She challenges and pushes students to excel, oftentimes beyond what they think is possible. Her ability to connect with, and inspire, students is unmatched as evidenced by the countless alumni which return to Tusky Valley High School each year to visit and rekindle a very special student-teacher relationship.”
The honorees will be featured in a series of recorded interviews on the chamber’s Facebook page during the week of Jan. 24. Special thanks to Reber Video of Dover for their assistance. Sponsors for the Virtual Award presentations include: Aultman Tuscarawas Regional Health, Boltaron, Buckeye Career Center, Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital, The Commercial & Savings Bank, First Federal Community Bank, First National Bank of Dennison, Kent State University at Tuscarawas, McInturf Realty, Moore & Neidenthal, Inc., Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, Ohio Means Jobs-Stark and Tuscarawas Counties, Schauer Group, SpringVale Health Centers, Starlight Enterprises, Triple-S Energy Management, Tuscarawas County Economic Development Corporation, Tuscarawas Valley Safety Council and WTUZ Radio.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce announces award recipients
