Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce

Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, June 30, 2016

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa plays host to annual event

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Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce
Linda Long, Immediate Past Chair of the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, speaks at the annual Business Awards banquet.

More than 153 nominees in 12 categories recently gave the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce a chance to celebrate business and community members for their positive impact in the Coachella Valley.

In the process, the event also raised close to $10,000. The funds are put back into the Chamber’s operating budget, which is used in the organization’s marketing efforts, visibility in the community, and to offset costs for programs, advocacy efforts, and future events for the new year.

The nominees came from PDACC members and the general public. On June 30, awards were presented to the winners in each category:  Business Woman of the Year – Debbie Frazer with Mary Kay Cosmetics; Business Man of the Year – Vincent Battaglia with Renova Solar; Small Business of the Year – El Paseo Jewelers; Medium Business of the Year – Tesla Palm Desert; Large Business of the Year – General Air Conditioning and Plumbing; Community Service Award – Cris Romero; Non-Profit of the Year – The Auen Foundation; Emerging Leader Award – Brandon Weimer with Brandini Toffee; Citizen of the Year – Susie Harvey.

Three other awards were presented: City of Palm Desert Award of Excellence – Lori Carney; Ambassador of the Year – Tammy Martin; and the Chairman’s Achievement Award – Mike Hardin of the Lock Shop. 
 
During the annual Business Awards, 23 individuals representing various businesses in the valley were installed as the Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Board of Directors. The incoming Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2016-2017 is Patrick Klein, general manager of the Gardens on El Paseo/El Paseo Village.   
 
The Annual Business Awards and Installation Dinner is held annually and is a requirement as per the chamber bylaws. During the event, the outgoing Chair of the Board reports to the Chamber member partners how PDACC performed fiscally, and reports some of the accomplishments and goals/challenges that were met over the past year. The incoming chair and the newly appointed board of directors are installed and then report to the membership and guests about some of the organizational goals for the upcoming year.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa
32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
760-321-2000
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Photography by Ceasar Rodriguez