Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce presented their 2008 Business and Community Awards at a special luncheon held on Friday, October 31st at Eagle Rock Resort.  The luncheon was sponsored by Luzerne County Community College.

Winning the Small Business of the Year Award, presented and sponsored by Marlin Duncan, owner of Comfort Keepers was Physical Therapy Specialists. The Large Business of the Year Award, presented and sponsored by George F. Hayden, Jr, of George J. Hayden Electric Communications Contractor Inc was won by Network Solutions. The Pride of Place Award, presented and sponsored by Joseph Pickett, Network Solutions was won by the American Red Cross, Hazleton Chapter. The “Rocco Colangelo, Sr.” Volunteer of the Year Award, presented and sponsored by John Morris, Vice President of Equilibrium Equities was won by Dwayne A. Hilton. The Healthy Workplace Awards, sponsored by Blue of Northeastern Pennsylvania, in cooperation with ChamberChoice, were presented by Dr. Leo M. Hartz, Clinical Advocacy and Chief Medical Officer of Blue Cross to Butterfly Life (small business) and to Penn State Hazleton (large business). 

A new addition to this year’s award program was the presentation of the Women’s Empowerment Grant.  The grant, presented by Chamber president Donna Palermo, was initiated through the Chamber’s Women’s Networking Committee and is intended to assist women who are beginning their education, returning to college for an advanced degree, or to improve their workplace skills.  The inaugural award was presented to Jennifer Yermal who recently begun attending Lackawanna College, Hazleton Campus, and is majoring in Business Studies and Marketing Management.

According to Lex Sloot, Chairman of the Awards Committee, “The awards were initiated to highlight businesses that are located in the Greater Hazleton Area, and to recognize the important role that volunteers play in our community.   Mr. Sloot states, “The judging was extremely difficult with many excellent applicants in each category.  However, I feel that the judges made excellent choices with the above-mentioned winners.”

The event was held in celebration of Chamber of Commerce month. For additional information on the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce and its services, call 570-455-1509 or visit us on the web at www.hazletonchamber.org