Community Awards Given at 130th Winston-Salem Chamber Annual Meeting

"The Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce held its 130^th Annual Meeting on Oct. 7 at the Benton Convention Center. Two community awards were given during the event.

L-R - Ben Tennill & Jimmy Flythe

The Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award was given to Ben and Marty Tennille with H.O.P.E, Help Our People Eat. The work that Ben and Marty do serves to unite the community by working towards eliminating “food deserts”, which are areas in our community that lack fresh fruits and vegetables because of limited availability, transportation or funds. The mission of H.O.P.E is also to eliminate childhood hunger. These volunteers are combating obesity by changing the food habits that in the long run will decrease medical costs while increasing learning.  

The Truliant Small Business Award was presented by Truliant Federal Credit Union. The recipient of this award was Vela Strategic Marketing & Communications. Vela Strategic Marketing & Communications is a marketing and public relations firm that has provided strategic guidance, advertising campaigns, digital and social media assets and campaigns, professional copywriting and creative design in the Winston-Salem area for over 6 years.

L-R - Todd Hall, Vela Strategic Marketing & Communication.

Additional finalists for the Truliant Small Business Award were: Alliance Insurance Services, DAVENPORT, Elephant in the Room, McCalls and PhoneTree.

Held in the Grand Pavilion Ballroom of the Embassy Suites, the Annual Meeting was sponsored by Cook Medical, Duke Energy, Truliant Federal Credit Union and North State. Over 600 business leaders were in attendance at today’s event. It is the only meeting in the community that gathers CEOs and high-level corporate executives to discuss the Chamber’s key accomplishments for 2015.

About the Chamber

The Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce is the leading business organization in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, representing nearly 1,800 area businesses that are committed to increased economic development in the region. The Chamber is dedicated to establishing Winston-Salem as a technology-driven economic center, and provides services to strengthen existing businesses, support entrepreneurs, and encourage small business creation. The Chamber supports public school student achievement, workforce, and higher education development."

- A Press Release