The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce announces the award recipients for 2007! Traditionally, all award winners have been kept secret and announced at the Annual Gala Event.  James Askew, Chairman of the Chamber Board for 2007 said, “Announcing the award recipients ahead of time gives extra exposure to some very special people in our community. The awards will be officially presented on Friday, February 8, 2008 at the Chamber’s Annual Gala Event.”

The Don Gordon Leader Business Leader of the Year for 2007 will be presented to Chip Pearson.  “Chip is a businessman as well as our state senator. He understands business and the challenges many of us deal with everyday. Since his election to the senate, he has been a great advocate for tourism and economic development.  We are blessed to have him not only as our senator, but he is our neighbor as well,” stated Linda Williams, president of the chamber.

The Jim Wallace Volunteer of the Year for 2007 will be presented to Doris Cook. “Anyone who knows Doris knows that she is totally involved in volunteer efforts around the community.  She served many years on the board of Kare for Kids as well as the Chamber of Commerce. She has worked tirelessly for the Chamber  on countless projects such as Leadership Dawson. If it has to do with education and enrichment of our students, she has probably been involved in that too”, stated James Askew.  “She is the perfect example of a volunteer that gives without expecting anything in return",  he continued.

The Chairman’s Award for 2007 goes to Warren King. Warren is currently serving as president of the Dawson County Rotary Club, and chairman of the board for the Dawson County Arts Council. He has given countless hours to bringing the fine arts experience to Dawson County through exhibits and performances at the Bowen Center for the Arts. He is also involved with RIC RAC, a local food bank and thrift store resource to the community, as well as the Dawson County Mentoring program.  James Askew stated, “If it is valuable to the community, it is quite likely that Warren is involved! The Chairman’s Award can be given for a variety of reasons. Warren was my choice because he is so involved with what is good about our community.”

The Ambassador of the Year for 2007 was announced at the Ambassador’s meeting in December. Jennifer Baker earned the honor through her tireless efforts on behalf of the Ambassador group. The Ambassadors are the liaison to the membership at large. They make phone calls and visits to members, as well as assisting with registration and greeting members at chamber functions and events. As Ambassador for 2007, Jennifer will co-chair the Ambassador group for 2008 with Stephanie Womack, Ambassador for 2006.

The Annual Gala will have a new spin this year. Rather than a banquet setting, there will be a lot of fun as Viva Las Vegas comes to Dawsonville!  Attendees will be able to enjoy casino style games with fun money.  “You can test your luck at the tables without worrying about the consequences”, stated Marty Williams, coordinator of the event.  “Those that win will be able to enter raffle drawings for several different prizes. There will also be the traditional silent auction for real cash.”

The event is open to the public, but reservations should be made right away. You may call the Chamber to charge your reservations over the phone, or stop by the Chamber office in the Historic Old Jail in Dawsonville. 

For more information or reservations, call 706-265-6278.