THOMASVILLE- The Thomasville- Thomas County Chamber of Commerce held their annual Community Impact Awards on Thursday night, where they rewarded numerous deserving businesses and individuals for their hard work and lasting legacy in the Thomasville area. 

Executive Director Andrea Collins welcomed the crowd, providing them with an update on the Chamber. 

“Keeping up with the latest trends in communication and marketing is not for the faint of heart,” she said. “Our goal is to keep the business community informed through various channels of communication. From the creation of a podcast, Lets Talk Thomasville, which tells stories about the people and businesses in our community to text reminder apps, quarterly video updates and a weekly electronic newsletter- the business connection. The content is curated for our local business community to help keep up to date on the latest business news and trends.” 

Collins went on to say she was proud of the accomplishments and strides forward the Chamber made this year, but more importantly she was thankful for the crowd, who supported their efforts to connect businesses and build a community. 

With that, Collins turned the crowd’s attention to the stage for the first award of the evening: the Covey Ag Award, presented by Southwest Georgia Farm Credit’s Allen Corbin. 

“The recipient of the Covey Agriculture Award, by Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, goes to a land preserve encompassing 255 acres of diverse habitats- upland meadows, hardwood and pine forests, hardwood bottoms, ponds, marshes and creeks,” Corbin said. “The founders of this preserve, Marta and Jerry Turner, are on a mission to engage and enlighten students of all ages through exploration-based nature studies… I am honored to announce the recipient is Gentian Creek Preserve.” 

Following a huge round of applause, the Chamber then presented the Small Business of the Year Award. 

“The recipient of the Small Business of the Year award goes to a family-owned business in Thomasville, Georgia whose services go beyond profit,” Collins said. “This small business offers a superior level of expertise through a small, core team with high competency in story-based branding, website design and social media marketing…this year’s Small Business of the Year Award recipient is Adele Creative Marketing and Design.” 

Check-Mate Industries was awarded Large Business of the Year. 

The Vashti Center for Children and Families followed up, receiving Non-Profit of the Year. 

Founded in 1903 as a mission of the United Methodist Women, the Vashti Center fosters healing, hope and transformation to empower and promote resiliency in children, families and communities in Georgia. 

City Councilman and business owner Scott Chastain was named Man of the Year for his dedication to providing a great quality of life in Thomasville. 

“The recipient of he Man of the Year Award goes to a true servant leader whose impact has certainly surpassed that of a lifetime worth of work,” Collins said. “He has been instrumental in bringing some of Thomasville’s most beloved places into being. In collaboration with the Center for the Arts, he recruited a nationally renowned team to create the conceptual plans for the Creative District/Ritz Amphitheater and then worked the City staff to make First Friday a reality. This year’s Man of the Year Award goes Scott Chastain.” 

Ucher Dent, an advocate who strives for racial unity, cultural awareness, equity for youth and quality education for all, was named Woman of the Year. 

“She serves as “beacon of hope” for so many in our community,” Collins said. “Known as the “youth ambassador” of the local NAACP organization, she serves on the City of Thomasville’s Black History Month Observance committee and created and organized the city-wide Juneteenth observance and celebration. This year’s Woman of the Year Award goes to Ucher Dent.” 

The final award of the evening was the Hutch Legacy Award, which was established after the community lost Bob Hutchinson, who supported the Chamber and community through a lifetime of service. The award recognizes and honors Chamber members who have a reached a milestone of 50+ years in business consecutively. 

“The recipient of this year’s Legacy Award goes to a business that is known in its category as the third oldest in the State of Georgia,” Collins said. “Founded by the late Hoyt Wimpy, owner of the Wimpy Radio on Broad Street, this business made its debut on air December 27, 1922.” 

The award was presented to WPAX Radio, who celebrated 100 years on the air recently and continuously provides local news to the community. 

The Chamber of Commerce also took the evening to congratulate their iLEAD graduates, with TC Federal Bank Senior Vice-President Jami Porter presenting a scholarship to Thomas County Central senior Brice Hopper. 

Collins concluded with congratulating all the award recipients and thanking everyone in attendance for another year of celebration. 

Marketing and Membership Director, Ansley Lacy commented on the event, saying it was a massive success, but also left everyone in the crowd with a renewed sense of pride in Thomasville.