DANVERS — 300 registered guests arrived at the Danversport Yacht Club for the Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Business Excellence Awards.
A total of 14 awards were distributed to businesses and individuals from multiple communities. Thursday night’s ceremony was led by the chamber’s Interim Executive Director Ryan Newhall, along with members Christine Pierce and Eileen Jonah. Pierce had served as the chamber’s chair for the previous two years and formally announced that Jonah would become her successor.
“As the incoming board chair, I know I have big shoes to fill,” Jonah said. “Christine has done an amazing job.”
The trio also recognized the chamber’s Operations Manager Christine Neals for 10 years of service, as well as her contributions to help make the event a reality.
Newhall, Pierce, and Jonah invited guests to announce the winner of each award.
Pride Motor Group of Lynn won the Large Business of the Year Award, which Brotherhood Credit Union, Groom Construction, and Leahy Landscaping Inc. were also nominated for. Essex Apothecary, a recreational cannabis dispensary in Lynn, took home the Small Business of the Year Award, which Congress Insurance and Obtek Services were also nominated for.
The criteria for the Business Man and Woman of the Year awards includes being “a GLCC member who has made a significant impact in their business, community, and has served as a role model and mentor.” Lifelong Lynn resident Bob Stilian of Old Tyme Italian Cuisine was named Business Man of the Year over Jim Keighley of K Security Systems and Brendan Ward of Cherry Tree Legal PLLC. Stilian’s restaurant has been a well-known institution in Lynn for more than 15 years.
Lauren Bateman of LB Music School won Business Woman of the Year over Adriana Moschella of Eastern Bank, Julieann Thurlow of Reading Cooperative Bank, and Jonah, who is a real estate agent at Century 21 North East.
My Brother’s Table, which has served the North Shore as its largest soup kitchen for more than 40 years, earned the Nonprofit Recognition Award over Lynn Community Television and Lynn Museum/Lynn Arts.
Kerry Ranieri, vice president of Reading Cooperative Bank, took home the Employee of the Year Award over Tracey Scherrer Friedman of the Haven Project and Marisol Ramirez of Full Color. Ranieri was also a nominee for the Bill Terlecky Rookie of the Year Award, along with Alexis Kievning of GE Aerospace. However, Roger Garcia of April’s Restaurant Pub and Grill was named the winner. The award is given to a GLCC member who only joined within the past three years, but has made a “positive impact” on the chamber with their membership. Kievning did not go home empty-handed, however, as Pierce gave her the Chairman’s Award.
“Since her first introduction to the chamber, she’s been very active,” Pierce said. “She jumped right in and that’s no joke… Alexis is now the co-chair of a very active woman networking committee and she has taken this to a whole new level.”
