Chamber of Commerce celebrates in roaring 20s style

The Belleville Chamber of Commerce gathered on  Friday night for their 159th President’s Dinner, and the sixth Cornerstone Awards.  Celebrating with a roaring 20s theme, the Shark Tank Pub at Loyalist College was transformed into a prohibition era speakeasy for the event. Amid the night’s festivities, members of the chamber were recognized for their accomplishments.

The President’s Recognition Award is presented by the outgoing president to someone they believe has gone above and beyond for the Chamber.  This year’s recipient is Jeanette Cyr-Guerreiro, who has been serving as treasurer for the Board of Directors since January 2021.  Anthony Callaghan acknowledged that Cyr-Guerreiro’s support to the board in assisting them to perform their fiduciary duty, with making financial reports easy to understand, was very important to recognize during his presidential year.  The chamber is in a healthy financial position and her informative approach allowed the board to appreciate this in a very positive way.

The Citizenship Award is presented to a chamber member who has embraced the spirit of the community by their selfless acts and support to causes that improve the lives of Belleville’s citizens.  Greg Sudds, past-president, was recognized as the designated recipient of this award for 2022.  Quietly supporting the community for over 30 years, he accepted the award with the hope that by being public, it will serve to inspire others.  Greg’s most public impact was with the Humane Society and their long-awaited move to a new shelter.

The Founder award is presented to a Chamber member who has built a business from its beginning or expanded an existing business that enhances the reputation of Belleville as a place where business can come to grow.   The award was presented to Barry Brown and Bill White who founded Bel-Con in 1973 and have been involved with a number of significant projects throughout the region, including the renovation of City Hall in 1988, but have left their imprint with multiple business buildings.

The Mentor Award is presented to a chamber member who, through their daily work, intentionally or not, helps develop others with their leadership and guidance.  This year’s award is presented to Steve Weese, O’Flynn Weese (retired) and a past-president, for the culture of mentorship that remains his legacy to the firm.

The Visionary Award is presented to a chamber member who has seen an opportunity to revive or create something unique or unprecedented. Their dedication to this vision has resulted in raising the profile of Belleville and has contributed to the overall prosperity of the community.  This year, they recognized Andy Babiak, who redefined the window tinting business by developing template and cutting software that has transformed the industry worldwide.

Ultimately, the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award could receive each of these awards individually. This year, the Belleville Chamber of Commerce recognized Peter Knudsen, K. Knudsen Construction Ltd.  Knudsen joins past recipients Maurice Rollins, Gerry Bongard, Alvin Parkhurst, Ed Lehtinen, Armin Quickert and Bob Doyle as a most deserving recipient.  Knudsen’s projects are also recognized throughout Eastern Ontario (including the jet in front of the Holiday Inn in Trenton) and he has been recognized by multiple organizations for his philanthropy, including being named an Angel by the Children’s Foundation.

Other members of the chamber were recognized as well. The contributions of retiring members of the board Wendy Kellar of Kellar Financial, Shaun Stickle of Sommers Generators Systems and Karen Poste, City of Belleville were celebrated.  Also acknowledged were Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan who served while president of Loyalist College, Brian Pennell who served as the Quinte Manufacturers Representative and Ian Wilson as an appointed member for 2022.  Peter Kempenaar was recognized for his nine-year tenure on the board and for finishing off as past president in 2022.