Chamber honors employers and organization

Juan A. Navejar Jr.

Some excited and surprised employers were honored at the 81^st Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet with awards of the year presented to them.
Chamber Executive Director Juan A. Navejar Jr presented the Small Employer of the Year to RBVs Downtown Freeze but due to family circumstances were unable to attend, Large Employer of the Year to Mi Casa Home Health and the Organization of the Year to Boys and Girls Club of Alice.
“We were just happy to be nominated and very honored,” Valerie Perez with RBVs Downtown Freeze said.
Receiving the award for Large Employer of the Year were owners Blanca Garcia and Jaime Flores.
“We appreciate the recognition you have given us and are quite honored,” Garcia said.
 The keynote speaker was Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives and Texas Association of Business CEO Aaron Cox. Cox quoted John Maxwell’s theory of Leadership during his address.
“True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed or assigned it comes only from influences and cannot be mandated. It must be earned,” Cox said. “When it comes down in identifying a leader, you find it in its followers. An organization is only as good as its people. We tend to become complacent with getting the job done, rather than growing the company and the people involved.”
Cox message included five points in a successful leader.
The Chamber also presented out-going board members and president with a token of appreciation. Hall of Honor inductees were Betty Allison, R. David Guerrero and Judge Richard Terrell. The Alice Ambassadors selected Martin Cantu Jr. as the Ambassador of the Year presented by 2017 Ambassador President Ofelia Hunter.