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 Tommy Clark, 2004 Chairman of
Texas City-LaMarque Chamber of Commerce and
David Moss, Citizen of the Year.
David
Moss - Citizen
of the Year
David
Moss is Vice President and Certified
Financial Manager of Merrill Lynch and has
been a financial advisor since 1993.
David
displays the characteristics of Outstanding
Citizen in the following areas: TCISD
Foundation for the Future - President;
College of the Mainland Foundation Rotary
Club – Past President, Recognized as a
Paul Harris Fellow; Hospice Care Team –
Trustee; Ronald McDonald House of Galveston
– Advisory Board Member; Galveston Central
Appraisal District – Board Member; Texas
City – La Marque Chamber of Commerce -
Board Member.
David
makes an outstanding choice for Citizen of
the Year. Born and raised in this community
David has made a real contribution to his
home town and makes us proud to call him “homegrown”.
His service and dedication are apparent.
David and his wife Robin have 2 children,
Derek and Riley.
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Tommy Clark, 2004 Chairman of the
Texas City-La Marque
Chamber of Commerce and Carol McLemore,
Leslie Hayley Community Service Award.
Carol
McLemore -Leslie Hayley
Memorial Community Service Award
Carol
serves her community, her profession, and
her family, and we are honored to be able to
recognize her tonight. Serving the community
is not a question with her; it is a way of
life.
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The City of
La Marque has been blessed with Carol’s
service and dedication for over 20 years and
our communities have benefited as well in
many, many ways.
Going from
a grant employee with the city to City
Manager, she has been a star all along the
way. Most citizens don’t realize the
responsibility and the accountability that
goes with being a true servant to a
community.
Just try
answering you phone after dinner and being
asked why some concerned citizen’s trash
didn’t run that day, or why the street
light is out, or when the street repair will
be done. It’s a 24 hour job and Carol will
be greatly missed by all that she
served.
Along the
way, Carol has managed to serve as a
Kiwanian, served as president of the State
Plumbing Board, is very active in her church
Highlands Baptist Church and a board member
to the Chamber. Carol relieves stress with
aerobic exercise and has successfully
participated in the 39.3 mile Avon Breast
Cancer Walk.
It is a
pleasure to recognize and honor Carol
McLemore with the Leslie Hayley Memorial
Community Service Award this
evening.
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L.W.
& Hazel Surratt with Jimmy Hayley,
President of the Texas City-La Marque
Chamber of Commerce)
The
Chairman’s Award recognizes someone who covers the
entire scope of what a great Chamber member should be. This year,
the Chamber has been very fortunate to have not only 1 but 2
people so dedicated and so involved. |
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L. W. and Hazel Surratt are all
these things and more, and the Chamber owes much to their energy
and enthusiasm. From the time they came on board, these two have
taken charge and made an impact on the activities they participate
in. Even to the point of having their own event during the Chamber
golf tournament.
When Hazel and LW Participate you
really get the entire RATT Pack as they call themselves which
include the sisters and friends that are a part of that wonderful
group. They have been there time and time again and even took on
the stage decorations for tonight. With much gratitude from the
Chairman and Staff of the Chamber, the 2004 Chairman’s award
goes to L.W. and Hazel Surratt!
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Frances Levisee, Ambassador of the Year
(Membership Division) and Jimmy Hayley,
President of the Texas City-La Marque
Chamber of Commerce
Membership
Division
Frances
Levisee
Ambassador
of
the Year
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cuttings and groundbreakings are not always
conveniently arranged, but this volunteer
managed to set an example for others through
her dedication. And
she is an outstanding “ambassador” in
every sense of the word – both for the
Chamber as well as her employer. She
made time in her busy work schedule to
attend most every ribbon cutting and ground
breaking that was held in 2004 and also
showed great involvement and participation
in all the Chamber events. In between
all this Chamber activity, she handles her
own job with Texas First Bank. She is
a former Chamber board member as well as
chairman, active Rotarian and works with
Hospice, and American Heart. Our
Ambassador of the Year from the Membership
Division is
Frances Levisee
.
Congratulations!
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(Left to Right)
Lucy Ozarchuk and Jimmy Hayley,
President of the Texas City-La Marque
Chamber of Commerce.
Golden
Division
Lucy Ozarchuk
Ambassador
of the Year
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any of you attended ribbon cuttings in 2004, you were sure to see
this dedicated ambassador welcoming new business persons to the
area. Being an
Ambassador requires more than a smile and a handshake.
It means scheduling the time in your daily routine to join
other community minded volunteers in saying “Welcome to our area
and good luck in this new endeavor.”
This year’s recipient also had a
lot of competition. When
you attend a ribbon cutting you will
see that competition all wearing their
gold shirts. This
energetic lady also volunteers at St. Mary’s Church, Our Lady of
Fatima School, Garden
Club and is mother and grandmother to the entire Ozarchuk
clan.
By now you are all probably aware
that the Ambassador of the Year for the Golden Division award goes
to Lucy Ozarchuk.
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(Left
to Right) Jamie Clark, Benny’s Liquor,
Tommy Clark, 2004 Chairman of the Texas
City-La Marque
Chamber of Commerce; Clarence Benson, Roberta
Benson, and Carin
Gibbons, Benny’s Liquor.
Small
Business of the Year
Benny’s
Liquor is a family owned business that was
started by Clarence and Roberta Benson in
1984.
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The
business has grown steadily each year.
Two of the Benson’s daughters, Carin
and Jami, manage
the family business.
The other sisters, help when needed
and even the grandchildren work in the
family business, as they pursue their
college degrees.
Benny’s
Liquor has grown from a small liquor store,
to a full service package store that can
cater to any type of event, no mater how
small or large.
2004 proved to be a banner year for
Benny’s Liquor and their percentage of
growth has been substantial.
The customer service that each and
every customer receives is second to none.
They
are strong believers of the motto of “Shop
at Home”.
Still, there has been time for
community involvement that most, much larger
companies would envy.
To name some of this
involvement:
Marine
Crops League
Optimist Club
Knights of
Columbus
Texas City
parks Board
Cultural Arts Foundation for the City of
Texas City
Foundation for the Future
La Marque
Independent
School District
Volunteers
Christmas in August
Texas City
–
La Marque
Chamber of Commerce
Small Business Council
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(Left to
Right) Dennis Johns, Lisa Colonna, Lori Carnes, Jay Carnes and
Jimmy Hayley.
Chairman's
Newcomer of the Year Award
Often times we
celebrate long time members and their contributions to the
Chamber, but tonight we are recognizing a new enthusiastic,
energetic member who joined the Chamber in January 2004.
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you know, when joining any organization, the gains that you reap
are only as much as you contribute.
I guess that Carnes Funeral Home wanted to make sure that
their investment in the Chamber paid them back at a premium.
This new member made sure to
attend nearly every event that the Chamber hosted and even made
their presence known as you may well remember if you attended the
Battle
by the Bay this year. Carnes
was determined to be the winning bidder on the autographed team
ball for the
Texas City
–
La Marque
rivalry game and was successful in doing so.
That same determination is evident in their involvement and
we applaud them this evening for being a great example of a
chamber member – whether old or new.
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