It's awards season in the Santa Maria Valley.
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber held its annual awards gala Thursday, Sept. 21 on the campus of Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.
The event celebrated the individuals, businesses and organizations who have made a positive impact on the community. It included a cocktail hour followed by an awards ceremony.
"Every year we take a moment to pause bring our friends together and celebrate what is good about our community," said Glenn Morris, the CEO of Santa Maria Valley Chamber. "There are so many businesses, nonprofit organizations, and really just individuals who work really hard all the time to make this the community we all love and on occasion, we think it's important to stop pick a few of them out of the crowd and tell them they're doing a great job."
This year’s award recipients include:
- Ambassador of the Year: Sol Pacheco, United Staffing Associates
- Large Business of the Year: CalPortland
- Non-Profit of the Year: Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley
- Robert F. Grogan Public Service Award: Mike Grogan
- Robert P. Hatch Citizen of the Year: Jim Bray
- Small Business of the Year: Wine Stone Inn
- Tourism Partner of the Year: The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center
