The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce held its 39th annual banquet last Saturday and announced award winners in four categories.

The Ambassador of the Year is given to a Chamber Ambassador who exemplifies what being a volunteer for the chamber is all about. The Ambassador must attend as many chamber events as possible, be a successful mentor, meet and greet and acts as host at events, and assists chamber staff. The award for the 2005 chamber year went to Barbara Stevens of Heritage Bank.

The Chet Wells Award is given in honor of one of the men who gave so much to building and growing the chamber in the 1970s. Each year a chamber member is recognized for dedication in this endeavor and this year it was awarded to Dennis Davenport. The Fayette County attorney is a 1977 graduate of Fayette County High School and is currently on the Board of Directors for the chamber. He was instrumental in working this past year in the United States Chamber of Commerce awarding the Fayette chamber accreditation, along with a four-star rating.

The Dreambuilder Award was first put into place by former chairman Mike Hofrichter. It is given to an individual who has had a significant vision for the community and selflessly gave of their time and talents to make a difference in Fayette County. AIS computer marketing director Vicki Turner was this year’s winner. She is a past chamber chair.

The Business Person of the Year is also a Fayette County High School graduate, Brent Scarbrough. He represents the 25th person to be so named. He is in the construction business and has been giving of his time and talents to many nonprofit organizations in the county.

Speaker for the occasion was popular talk-show host Neal Boortz. He spends the winter months broadcasting from Florida and flew up in his plane, a Mooney Ovation2.

He was reared in Texas and was a graduate of Texas A&M University. He was graduated from law school in Atlanta in 1977. He practiced law until signing a contract with WSB radio in 1992.

A strong proponent of the Fair Tax Law, he told of his long-time association with U.S. Rep. John Linder. They began talking over 20 years ago about a consumption tax, and this has evolved into their stand on the Fair Tax law and a hardcover book that was a national best-seller in 2005. A softcover publication will be published this May, entitled “The Fair Tax Book.”

Boortz will be debating the issue live on C-SPAN April 11.

Outgoing chair Mike Jablonski spoke on what he believes are “The Three Passions of Business.”

“You have to be passionate to the core,” he said, “about what you are selling. It doesn’t matter if it is a product or a service. One needs to be convinced, and to convince those around them, that they eat, drink and breathe their product.”

Passion number two is knowing who is buying what you are selling. “The business people that I have seen working in and around our chamber know their where their customers live, what they are likely to buy, and whether they can fill a customer’s need through a product or service that they sell.”

“Passion number three,” he said, “must be choosing the right place to sell your product or service. Your passion for explaining why and where you are selling must convey enthusiasm, must force them ask more questions, and to find out you really have a good product and a good story to tell.”

He outlined those programs brought about in the 2005 year, such creating a new logo for the chamber; creating a Web site that gets over 65,000 hits per month; updating and refreshing the monthly newsletter; staging the biggest golf tournament ever, so that important chamber programs can be funded; staging the biggest Business expo ever, giving chamber member businesses a great place to show their wares; adding over 220 new members; and engaging in a seven-month effort to become one member of an elite group of Chambers of Commerce from all over the country, to receive a four-star accreditation from the United States Chamber of Commerce.

After Jablonski passed the gavel, incoming chair Mark Gray thanked Jablonski for his accomplishments in the past year.

Gray reiterated the importance of the chamber in receiving the four-star accreditation, pointing out that of the 6,936 chambers in the country, only 332 are accredited and only 74 are a four-star. There only 20 that have received a five-star.

He said that the theme for 2006 is “Good to Great.” The chamber will be taking all the good things it does and making them greater.

“There will be more opportunities in 2006 members to share their ‘business story,’” he said. In June there will be a “Black and Red Event,” a black-tie optional Casablanca night with casino games and lots of good food and drink; and continuing the “Genius Series,” a business education program featuring world class speakers covering a host of business relevant topics such as marketing, customer service, finances, and sales techniques.

Gray concluded by saying, “Get involved and your business will soar, your life will be enriched and you will help to improve the quality of life in Fayette County.”

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