JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The 91st Annual Jamestown Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet was held Thursday, January 20th at the Harold Newman Arena on the University of Jamestown Campus.
The awards banquet reflects on the previous year and gives out recognition and awards for Young Professional of the Year, Business of the Year, Above & Beyond, and Citizen of the Year. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Emily Bivens started the awards presentation by reflecting on the past year and celebrating 91 years of the event.
Following opening remarks, the Jamestown Chamber Beautification Committee gave their awards including;
Continuing Beautification – North Dakota Farmers Union
Spot of Beauty – Garden Hills Apartments
Landscaping Award – Witthauer Financial Group
The 2021 Chamber Past President Scholarships were announced and Customer Service and Business of the Month recipients were recognized. Then, the four large awards were given.
Young Professional of the Year – Nick Bruns
Nick Bruns with Nodak Insurance was nominated and voted as the Young Professional of the Year. In his nomination letter, Bruns is identified as a “successful business” owner while also raising two young children with his wife. Bruns serves on multiple boards, volunteers, serves in his church, and more.
“There is no better way to thank those working hard for our community’s success than showing them it does not go unnoticed,” his letter stated.
Bruns gave a small speech in a sent-in video played for the banquet.
Business of the Year – Anne Carlsen
Anne Carlsen was recognized as the Business of the Year for 2021. Receiving the Business of the Month award in August, their nomination letter spoke specifically about the Out-Patient Therapy Department and their work with the nominators son.
“We felt welcomed as soon as we entered the door,” the letter explains. “We had been dealing with this issue for quite sometime and I was feeling like a failure of a mom. They made me understand that it’s okay to ask for help and I was actually being a Rockstar of a mom for bringing my son in to be seen.”
CEO Tim Eissinger accepted the award on behalf of the organization, thanking his staff, board, and community for making their organization successful
Above & Beyond Award – Searle Swedlund
Searle Swedlund was the announced recipient of the Above & Beyond Award. The award is given to an individual who has demonstrated leadership with the business community and has shown contributions to the betterment of the community.
In multiple nomination letters, Swedlund is described as someone who has continually gone above and beyond in his day-to-day work to improve the community and Jamestown Tourism.
“Searle’s title is Director of Tourism, but he presents himself in so many more roles and all for the betterment of our community,” one of the letters stated. “He works endlessly to promote, assist, help, advise, and further Jamestown’s growth and success. [He] goes much above and beyond what is expected.”
Swedlund spoke after being named the Above & Beyond award recipient for 2021.
Citizen of the Year Award – Dr. Polly Peterson
University of Jamestown President Dr. Polly Peterson was nominated and awarded the Citizen of the Year Award for 2021. The prestigious award is considered the “highest honor” that can be bestowed upon an individual who has dedicated their life to the betterment of Jamestown.
In her many nominations, Dr. Peterson is consistently commended for her work on growing the University of Jamestown in recent years, including a University of Jamestown branch in Phoenix. She has also overseen large projects such as the Harold Newman Arena and Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium.
“While much attention will understandably go to the shared project that brought a world-class renovated Charlotte and Gordon Hansen facility and new Erstad Field to the community, my experiences with Dr. Peterson far extend that beyond that high-profile venture,” one letter stated. “She has engaged in numerous conversations that have centered on the betterment, certainly of the University of Jamestown, but also on the greater Jamestown community and for those of us that live and work here.”
Dr. Peterson gave a few words after being introduced by Kari Newman-Ness, touching on the work done to create the Charlotte and Gordon Hansen Stadium.
For more information on the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce, visit jamestownchamber.com.