October 2005
CHAMBER AWARDS CEREMONY HONORS COMMUNITY HEROES

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce will present the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Service Awards to public service officers, Family-Friendly Employers, individuals and community organizations in a gala ceremony to be held today, Thursday, October 6, 2005, at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus.

“The community’s capacity for caring and time-honored tradition of volunteerism is evident in Chapel Hill and Carrboro,” said Aaron Nelson, executive director of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. “Working together as a community we can make a difference, making permanent changes and improvements as we strive to build a sustainable community.”

The Chamber will present six awards for community service. Honorees are Linda Convissor, UNC-Chapel Hill, Town and Gown Award; Memorial Hall, Community Enhancement Award; Beth Seyda (individual) and Chapel Hill Service League (organization), Community Enrichment Awards; Marilyn and Tom Alexander, Jim Gibson Volunteers of the Year Award; Ruffin Slater, Citizen of the Year Award; and Irene Briggaman, Lifetime Achievement Award for Service.

The Chamber will honor seven officers with awards as Public Service Officers of the Year. They are:  Orange County EMS - Eric Griffin, Orange County Sheriff - Jasper Clark, Carrboro Police Dept.- Thomas “Tei” Coyle, Carrboro Fire Dept - Gregory  P. Sherman, Chapel Hill Police Dept. - Lt. Jackie Carden, Chapel Hill Fire Dept - Jeff Cabe, UNC Dept of Public Safety - Lori Ann Palazzo.

The Chamber and the Orange County Partnership for Young Children will jointly recognize three Family Friendly Employers of the Year. They are North Carolina High School Athletic Association (small), Vietri, Inc. (midsize), and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (large).

Progress Energy is the Platinum Sponsor of the Community Service Awards Ceremony, which honors individual and organizational contributions to the betterment of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County. 

For more information on the awards ceremony, contact Tracy Hager or Aaron Nelson at 967-7075 or thager@carolinachamber.org.