Once per year, the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber celebrates business leaders for their contribution to the region. These businesses, organizations and individuals are nominated by the membership and local citizens for the outstanding work they do. This year, we had many nominations for the committee to evaluate, and I’m proud to announce the winners below.

These individuals will be honored at the Annual Awards Night on March 14 at St. John’s Community Center. The details of the event will go live on the chamber website at midcoastmaine.com this Wednesday. This will include ticketing information, sponsorship opportunities and more (also the members will be receiving a special edition of the e-newsletter on Wednesday with all the same details). The chamber e-newsletter is free to sign up for if you are a business leader in the region; just email me at cory@midcoastmaine.com to get on the distribution list.

I wanted to give you some of my early thoughts on why these individuals were selected to be honored before I even interview them. It is quite the deserving bunch.

Young Professional of the Year, Hannah Chatalbash

It’s never easy taking over for a veteran leader in any organization, but Hannah has exemplified how to make a smooth transition while growing the organization, too, as the executive director of Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. Hannah has dedicated much of her career to helping with food insecurity in our region and as the deputy director and development director at MCHPP (prior to becoming the ED), and she has been an integral part of helping the organization grow from where they were 10 years ago to today.

Citizen of the Year, Brittany Hyde

An instrumental leader in our community, Brittany has shown remarkable effectiveness in building a community of supporters through her business Spark Cycling Studio. Over the past three years, Brittany has initiated fundraising rides over 30 times and raised over $75,000 for these organizations in total, including the plunge event last May that raised over $30,000 for ALS. I’m hard-pressed to think of any citizen who has done this much fundraising for others over the last three years. We are one of the beneficiaries of Brittany’s work at the chamber as she gives us five to 10 hours per week of marketing support; but let’s be honest, she doesn’t do that work for the money — she does it to help out the community. That’s who she is: a helper, a teacher, trainer, leader, role model and a very deserving winner.

President’s Award, Jim Howard

Outgoing Chamber President Shannon Anketell will giving her award this year to Jim Howard of Priority Real Estate Group. Jim does so much for the region, for area organizations and specifically for our chamber, and Shannon wants her last act as president to say “thank you” for all of the support.

Director’s Award, Sitelines, P.A.

Executive Director Cory King is giving his award to Kevin, Bruce and the whole team over at Sitelines. Besides being members for over 30 years, Sitelines has been a part of every chamber event for the last five years at least, and they’re great advocates and supporters of the chamber. No matter the need, they are always willing to step up, and for that, their contributions will be honored.

Excellence In Entrepreneurship, OystHERS Raw Bar & Bubbly

There are so many excellent stories of new businesses and growing businesses in our region, but the OystHERS story is one that so many people have responded to, as witnessed by numerous nominations this year. Beyond just the quality of their product and their heralded service, people love what they have brought to the region. Hear that story for yourself at the Awards Dinner on March 14.

Nonprofit of the Year, Bath Area Family YMCA

Between its two locations, the Bath Area Family YMCA has had a huge impact on our region as a place for families to grow, better themselves, stay healthy and engage. Child care is a huge need in our area, and the YMCA’s work with General Dynamics Bath Iron Works to help create a child care center in Brunswick that will help a major employer is a model for how partnerships can help add solutions to some of the heavy burdens employers and their employees are facing. Collaboration and success like that deserve to be celebrated.

Large Business of the Year, MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital

The Midcoast campus of MaineHealth, led by Chris Bowe, MD, FACEP, is instrumental in our region, and it is active in almost every initiative that happens here. Besides being one of the largest employers in the region (and one of the largest employers in the state), its community involvement is second to none. There are few community projects or boards of directors that don’t have a direct or indirect link to MaineHealth employees, and they take that responsibility seriously by engaging on so many levels. In the last few years, MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital has been an early adapter of New Mainers at work, had one of the smoothest leadership transitions you will ever see, continued to find ways to support the entire region and engaged just as anyone would hope that the critical health care provider in their region would.

Small Business of the Year, Fairwinds Farm

Audree Rackley and her team at Fairwinds Farm are continuing to grow and make good things happen in our region. The farmstand, the U-pick strawberries, Christmas trees and wreaths at the Topsham Fair Mall, the farmers market, and the CSA program are just some reasons you know the Fairwinds Farm name. They have a goal of raising delicious, healthy crops and to sustain the fertile soil that they are fortunate enough to grow on, which they do by using integrated pest-management systems to ensure only the freshest foods make it to your table. Their hard work has led to their success, and we are so lucky to get to honor them this year.

Congrats to all of these award winners!

Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.