Southwest Valley Chamber honors local businesses at annual gala

By Mary Goldmeer
Mail

The Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards gala Sept. 6 at The Wigwam Resort, 300 E. Wigwam Blvd.

The black-tie affair began with a two-hour cocktail reception, followed by dinner, the awards ceremony and an after party with music from DJ C West.

The gala attracted more than 500 business owners, managers, elected officials and community leaders, filling the rooms, halls and the ballrooms of The Wigwam.

The chamber presented eight awards during the evening. Nominations were submitted by chamber members and reviewed by a selection committee composed of SVCC board members in a competitive voting process.

The SWVCC board of directors and prominent community members made speeches reflecting on the community, business and local government excellence found in the West Valley before passing out awards.

Up first, the Excellence in Business Award was presented to Jeremiah Smith on behalf of Everyone Inc.

The Rising Star Award celebrated the spirit of the chamber’s mission by honoring FirstBank representative Jordan Englebrecht, who thanked her mother and SWVCC for the opportunity.

The Education Partner of the Year Award was given to Thrivepoint High School’s Donna Penberthy.

The SWVCC’s Community Impact Award was presented to Saddle Mountain Brewery co-owner Laura Hansen, who spoke about community over competition in her acceptance speech.

The Spirit of the Chamber Award was presented to Jeffery Garza Walker for his work with NAI Horizon Real Estate.

The Corporate Advocate of the Year Award was given to the City of Hope community.

Finally, El Mirage Mayor Alexis Hermosillo was named as SWVCC’s Outstanding Public Official of the Year.

The dinner and awards ceremony were filled with applause as prerecorded acceptance speeches played and the physical trophies were passed along. SWVCC guests stayed after for dancing and an after party on the terrace until 11 p.m.

SWVCC is an organization made up of the business community from Avondale, El Mirage, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Tolleson and beyond. The organization offers a range of services such as networking events, business development resources and community engagement programs.

The chamber facilitates collaboration among local businesses, government officials and community leaders through advocacy, educational initiatives and promotional activities.