Around 250 members of the business community gathered at OH’s Townhouse in Eureka Thursday to celebrate the 118th Annual Eureka Chamber of Commerce Membership dinner.

The evening served as a chance for Chamber members as well as local leaders to get together and honor exceptional businesses and others who make significant contributions to community.

“We try and have fun and we use it as an opportunity to come together as a membership,” said Chamber Director J. Warren Hockaday.

The evening kicked off with dinner followed by an awards ceremony and introductions of new Chamber members.

Eureka Chamber of Commerce Lobbyist Keith Dunn also gauged the business environment in the state for the year to come.

From a state perspective he said, like the rest of the nation, we are experiencing a deficit.

“Infrastructure issues are critical,” he said with regard to the North Coast.

Jill McDonald, 2007 president of the board of directors, noted accomplishments of the Chamber over the past year, including a boost in tourism and a large number of business referrals.

“We’ve raised the voice of the local business community,” she said.

This year’s Business of the Year award went to Evergreen Pulp, for a commitment to environmental responsibility and contributing to the community.

“Evergreen has introduced a stability in this community that wasn’t there,” said Virginia Bass, in part for providing jobs.

Joe Mark, CEO of St. Joseph Health Systems, received the Business Person of the Year Award.

“This is absolutely the most generous community I’ve lived in, in my life,” he said. “I look forward to being your CEO in the future.”

Hockaday said choosing award recipients can be challenging.

“It’s always really tough because there’s so many people and businesses that go beyond the call of duty in so many ways,” Hockaday said.

Additional awards included:
Small Business of the Year Award: Leon’s Car Care Center
Customer Service of the Year Award: Coast Central Credit Union
Chamber Ambassador of the Year Award: Leslie Morris of U.S. Bank
Tom Cooke Award: Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Executive Officer David Hull

The Chamber also honored the Eureka Police Department with a standing ovation and vote of confidence for service to the community.