The Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce 71st Annual Meeting is set for Thursday, January 26, at The Club. Social hour and silent auction will be at 5:30, with dinner at 6:30.
This year, the Chamber is sponsoring a split-the-pot drawing with 100 tickets being sold for $100 each. Note that only 100 tickets will be sold. The drawing will be held the night of the banquet.
The deadline is fast approaching for nominations for Citizen of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Business of the Year Award, to be announced that night.
The selection committee welcomes nominations through Tuesday, January 17, at 5 p.m. Nominations may be mailed to 137 North Main Street, Atmore, or emailed to director@atmorechamber.com.
The Citizen of the Year award is designed to recognize an individual’s outstanding achievements and / or contributions to the community.
The Lifetime Achievement Award, established by the Chamber in 1996, recognizes citizens whose contributions over a lifetime have helped to positively shape the community. This award is presented at the discretion of the committee and is not necessarily given annually.
Past recipients are listed below:
Citizen of the Year Award
1978 – Nathan H. Gross
1979 – Mayor Patricia P. McKenzie
1980 – William F. Farr
1981 – John Garrard, Jr.
1982 – Raymond L. Bolden
1983 – Sarah S. Fayard
1984 – Leslie Miles Horn
1985 – Ellen H. Maddox
1986 – Ben L. Haley
1987 – G.R. Swift
1988 – Ulay K. Wise
1989 – Charles G. “Bud” Mayson and Alice R. Mayson (posthumously)
1990 – Mary Grissett
1991 – Virginia H. King
1992 – Randal and Judith Adams
1993 – Benjamin C. Maxwell, M.D.
1994 – John Henderson (posthumously)
1995 – Elise S. Crook
1996 – James F. Corman
1997 – Frances E. Dunn
1998 – Robert R. Jones, III
1999 – Sally Pitts
2000 – Bishop E. Lyons, Sr.
2001 – Reverend J. Kelly Brown
2002 – Sherry Digmon
2003 – Rob Faircloth
2004 – Mayor Howard Shell
2005 – Ellen and Jane Corman
2006 – Earl and Marilyn Bryant
2007 – Shirley West
2008 – Tray Smith
2009 – Dorothy Albert
2010 – Phillip B. Johnson
2011 – Richard Maxwell
2012 – Jon Yoder, MD
2013 – Pee Wee Powell
2014 – Foster Kizer
2015 – Ellis Beachy
Lifetime Achievement Award
1996 – James Brooks Thomas, M.D. (posthumously)
1997 – Hugo Esneul, Jr.
1998 – J.B. Swift, Jr.
1999 – William F. Corman (posthumously)
2002 – Dottie Padgett
2003 – Charles Karrick (posthumously)
2004 – Hooper Matthews, Jr.
2005 – Charlotte Boyle
2006 – Betty Warren
2008 – Emilie W. Mims
2009 – Poarch Band of Creek Indians
2010 – John Garrard
2011 – Mary Joyner Grissett (posthumously)
2013 – Dr. Ullysses McBride
2014 – Helen Lumpkin
2015 – Murray Johnson
Business of the Year
2012 – Pepsi
2013 – David’s Catfish
2014 – Muskogee Technology
2015 – First National Bank & Trust