Members of the One SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce will take part in their first business meeting this week since the Bristol County and SouthCoast Chambers merged earlier this year.
From the One SouthCoast Chamber
One SouthCoast Hosts Inaugural 2020 Annual Business Meeting
With the coming of November, we also begin the holiday season and, in spite of all of the challenges brought forth in 2020, there is much to celebrate. Family, friends, business, and community all come together to count our blessings and to share what we can with those less fortunate. Yes, it has been a rough year all around, but our heads are high and we stand together in gratitude and humility as we celebrate.
This year, due to restrictions on gathering, we are conducting our Annual Meeting – the inaugural annual meeting of the new One SouthCoast Chamber – virtually on November 19th at 8:30 AM, and this year we are using that important setting to also bring to our members two wonderful and important awards ceremonies.
For many years, the Roger Valcourt Citizenship award has recognized an outstanding citizen whose contributions to the community are worthy not just of recognition but applause. While our sit-down dinner may be replaced by a morning Zoom meeting, we hope that the entire membership will join us as the Roger Valcourt Citizenship Award is presented to Keith Hovan, CEO of Southcoast Health. Our hospitals and those magnificent frontline workers in them faced remarkable odds, saving lives and dealing with a pandemic the likes of which we have not seen since 1918. Keith, we know, accepts the award on behalf of all in our medical community whose lives were forever changed by this insidious and invisible enemy.
The John S. Brayton Community Service Awards are important recognitions for individuals and groups who have made a genuine difference in ways large and small in our region. Jennifer Preston, longtime realtor and a force within the Rotary Club of Fall River, is a most worthy recipient. Jennifer embodies Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self. She has twice been recognized by her club as a Paul Harris Fellow – the highest honor that a club may bestow, for her service both to the club and the community. Jennifer Downing who has served for several years as Executive Director of Leadership Southcoast is our second Brayton recipient. Jen has run the region’s finest and strongest leadership programs, and though leaving to pursue other opportunities, she has become synonymous with this outstanding program.
The groups recognized with Brayton Awards this year are indeed different from each other but alike in wanting to recognize those who are often forgotten or overlooked. The Vietnam Memorial Committee, chaired by Joe Marshall and involving Vietnam war veteran and former Chamber board member Jack Sbrega, worked tirelessly to raise the funds necessary to bring a replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington to Centennial Park, joining the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Battleship Massachusetts as reminders of the sacrifices made by those who serve our country.
Brad Simmons, with the incredible help of proud fellow Chamber members Adam St. Ours and Sergio Dabdoub, put together a grassroots effort to say thank you to the incredible first responders – police, fire, and hospital workers through the Feed the First Responders program. Supported by many Chamber Board members, FTFR brought incredible meals, prepared by local restaurants and in by the incomparable Chef Stephen Coe (the man who defeated Bobby Flay on Chopped) and tee shirts throughout our region to simply say, “Thank You.” The message was simple and the gesture huge.
So, was this a wretched year by any measure? Yes, 2020 is one we will all be glad to see end, but we also have much for which to be thankful and wonderful people to celebrate. We hope to see you all on November 19 at 8:30 in the morning as we do just that!
To preregister, please visit https://members.onesouthcoast.com/events/details/inaugural-one-southcoast-chamber-annual-business-meeting-and-annual-valcourt-outstanding-citizen-and-brayton-community-service-award-ceremony-496316
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