Ten members of the Chamber of Manitowoc County members felt humbled and honored during the Awards of Distinction ceremony Thursday evening (February 8th).
Beth Kohleman was named the Volunteer of the Year.
She tells Seehafer News she was very pleased but totally shocked to win the award.
“As long as the chamber wants me to come help, I’ll help,” she explained. “And I have several other things I’m involved in; it just makes life more interesting.”
Educational Award Winner Jennifer Wachowski says she wants to keep pushing her students, “And allow them to experience history through the lens of being teenagers and hopefully having them use the skills that I give them or that they practice to make really good decisions for the world that they live in.”
Bartow Buildiers was named the Small Business of the Year.
Brandow Bartow, owner of Bartow Builders and host of Seehafer Broadcasting’s Welcome Home, called getting the award a surprise because there were so many great candidates who could get Small Business of the Year.
He says they are implementing new technologies to help customers.
“We have enhanced our design team at Bartow Builders to include interior design,” he explained. “And we’ve also gone to more sophisticated software that’s going to allow our customers to be able to see their project in much more detail before they begin them.”
Rob Schroder from Briess Malting, who won Large Business of the Year, says Manitowoc has such a great workforce, and it shows with the growth of Briess.
“We’ve been here for about 10 years now, having bought the plant 10 years ago,” he described. “At the time we bought it, there were 5 employees working there, and it was in shutdown mode. And now, a decade later, we’ve got almost 100 employees, most of them at the plant and a few also at a warehouse.”
This year’s Young Professional of the Year Award went to Seehafer Broadcasting’s own Ryan Brahm.
“The rest of the Future 15 are just as worthy of this award if not more so than I am,” he said. “Being in the company of the people that got it before me, there’s an EMS and a football coach. Amber Daugs of Grow It Forward. A good friend of mine, Jill Bryntesen of Ansay and Associates. I mean, just to be in the same conversation as them is something to be proud of.”
Seehafer Broadcastings Genesis Wilda was also nominated for the award.
The Central Park 365 project in Two Rivers was honored with the Collaboration Award.
Two Rivers City Manager Greg Buckley says it is an honor to be recognized for the project, which included a lot of effort from the city council and its residents.
“Periodically, every organization, every community needs a big project,” he said. “It’s something that pays it forward to the next generation. This was the right project at the right time in Two Rivers. The community stepped up in a huge way and this recognition is the cherry on top.”
Shawn Gretz with Americollect called winning the Healthiest Workplace Award, “Exciting, of course. It’s great for the Americollect teams to get a nice award for all their hard work on being healthier.”
United Way Manitowoc County Executive Director Ashley Bender says the organization is incredibly honored to win Non-Profit of the Year.
“We’ve been nominated year after year, and so it’s just been amazing to be recognized as number one,” she explained. “And this year for us to receive the award is truly humbling.”
Reverend Dr. Matthew Sauer was honored with the Joseph P. Schmitt “Speak Up” Award.
Sauer talked about what the future holds for the Manitowoc Homeless Shelter, which includes a permanent stand-alone location.
“That’s acquiring the facility and remodeling the facility,” he explained. “We need a facility that can hold about 24 individuals, have on site showers, laundry, kitchen, and be able to partner with other non-profits so we can some of the great services they have right there.”
Dr. Phyillis Schippers was given the Athena Award.
She called getting the award a total shock.
“The West Foundation that I’ve been privileged to lead for the last four years is truly a calling,” she described. “And I just love all our non-profits and I want to do whatever I can to help them and to help our community.”
