Chamber honors employers

Juan A. Navejar Jr

Some excited and surprised employers were honored at the 78^th Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet.
Chamber Executive Director Juan A. Navejar Jr presented the Small Employer of the Year to Right of Way Services, Large Employer Excellence to Bowden Ford and the Employer of the Year to Community Action Corporation of South Texas.
“We were just happy to be nominated and very honored,” Velma Starr with Right of Way Services said.
Receiving the award for Large Employer Excellence were Kurt Bowden and Keri Bowden-Del Alamo.
“We appreciate the recognition you have given us and are quite honored,” Del Alamo said.
 The keynote speaker was Port of Corpus Christi Commissioner Barbara Canales. In her address, she emphasized the importance of South Texas and the port.
“This is not Corpus Christi’s port but it belongs to all of South Texas. We are all the arteries of the oil and gas industry. We are all part of the Eagle Ford Shale and you (Alice) with support industries are vital to the heart of the shale,” Canales said. “With Chanere opening in 2017, Alice and South Texas will play a big role when it comes to natural gas or LNG.”
Along with the Chamber awards, the Alice Ambassadors selected Clare Wonders as the Ambassador of the Year presented by 2014 Ambassador President Nicole Perez-Morris.