This year, the Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce tried something different for its President’s Awards presentation.
Instead of combining it with another event, they gave the ceremony its own night, to highlight the honorees’ contributions to the community, said Elyse Crossman, a 2006 Stevens High School graduate who’s led the chamber for almost two years. The event, held on Feb. 17 at The Common Man, drew about 110 people, “a really great turnout.”
National Field Representatives, the business of the year, serves lenders holding mortgages on residential properties that are in delinquency. Over time, it has grown from fewer than 10 workers to more than 200. Any time a business chooses to stay and expand in Claremont rather than leave to grow in another area, “we are very thankful,” Crossman said. National Field Representatives now employs “a huge amount of our community.”
Catherine “Cat” Andrews, the young professional of the year, is general manager at Amcomm Wireless. Andrews is involved in Sullivan County Young Professionals, coordinating and participating in its annual stuff-a-truck event, which collects nonperishable items for the Claremont Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry, Crossman said. She’s “pretty impressive professionally, as well.”
The citizen of the year, Cory LeClair, is assistant superintendent at SAU 6. An “amazing young woman,” LeClair also is involved with Claremont’s Green Dot Planning Committee and the economic development subcommittee of the city’s master plan, Crossman said. “Her goal is to make this community even better than it already is.”
TLC Family Resource Center, the nonprofit of the year, was honored for “the work they do every day in our community” with children and parents, Crossman said. Hearing about their accomplishments from parents is “just so amazing.”
— Aimee Caruso
