By Juanice Gray, jgray@natchitochestimes.com
Photos by Hannah Richardson, lifestyleeditor@natchitochestimes.com
Northwestern Louisiana Cancer Center won the award for small business, Ivan Smith Furniture won for mid-size business, Southern Scripts for large business, Rhodes Realty for new business and Outpatient Medical Center for non-profit. BOM won in the new Town Favorite category and Richard Gill, CP-Tel CEO and 2009 Chamber chairman was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. The announcements and presentations were made during the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner Thursday, Jan. 24 at the Events Center
Chamber President Laura Lyles and new board chairman John Richmond, along with outgoing board chairman Ryan Todtenbier and chamber members Tom Matuschka and Josh Manuel announced the winners chosen by Chamber members.
Finalists in the small business category, 1-10 employees, included BOM Financial Services, Northwestern Louisiana Cancer Center and Super 8. Finalists in mid-size, business, 11-24 employees, were Ivan Smith Furniture, Outpatient Medical Center and Rhodes Properties & Development and in the large business category, over 25 employees, finalists were International Paper-Red River Mill and Southern Scripts. Dean Dermatology and Skin Therapy and Rhodes Realty were finalists in the new business category, open less than 12 months, and rounding out the categories, Natchitoches Art Guild Gallery and Outpatient Medical Center were finalists as non-profits.
Ryan Todtenbier, left, passed the gavel to incoming chairman John Richmond.
Incoming Board of Directors and chair are Brad McCormick with Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Haley Taitano with Demons Unlimited Foundation, JoAnna Washington with City Bank & Trust Company, Josh Manuel with Ware Youth Center, Katrice Below with BOM-Keyser Ave. branch, Mario Fox with Rhodes Realty, Melissa Colier with MidSouth Bank, Nicole Ezernack with Nicole’s Creative Flowers, Ryan Todtenbier with Thomas, Cunningham, Broadway & Todtenbier CPAs, Sean Baylor with NRMC, Stewart Carnline with CP-Tel Network Services, Inc., Tom Matuschka with NRMC, Van Erikson with the Northwestern State University Foundation, Lyles and Richmond.
Natchitoches Young Professionals (NYP), a Chamber initiative for ages 21-40, recognized Micah Foshee, Randee Knapp, Roderick McIntosh and Ryan Todtenbier with the “4 under 40” award for excelling in community leadership and professional achievements. Foshee is a marketing assistant at BOM and owner of Natchitoches Flipping Athletics. Knapp works in the human resources department at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center. McIntosh is CEO of Rhodes Realty and Todtenbier is a partner at Thomas, Cunningham, Broadway and Todtenbier CPAs.
Ambassador of the Year award went to Barbara Leach, an ambassador of over two decades. This honor was voted on by fellow ambassadors.
The event was catered by Lasyone’s and concluded with raffle drawings. Winners were Michelle Armstrong, Cathy Jacobs, Kirk Soileau, Mike Newton, Johnnie Vasco, Justin Rhodes and Janice Bolton.
