Two nominees dominate Elgin Area Chamber awards

In a rare twist, multiple awards went to one individual and one business at this year’s Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce award luncheon.

AJ Smith of AJS Enterprises and the Grand Victoria Casino each took two awards in the ceremony dedicated to recognizing chamber volunteers.

Susan Angell-Case, vice chair of membership and a real estate agent with Baird and Warner, presented the awards after having helped choose the winners.

Angell-Case said the list of nominees was impressive across the seven categories and that it is very uncommon for someone to win multiple awards.

“We really have wonderful people that volunteer for the chamber,” Angell-Case said. “We had great choices.”

Smith won Ambassador of the Year for the second year in a row for attending more of the year’s 113 chamber events than anyone else. She also shared the Chamber Volunteer of the Year Award with Nidia Delgado of First Federal Savings Bank.

Smith has been a member of the chamber since 2004.

“I definitely believe in this chamber, so I do what I can,” Smith said.

The Grand Victoria Casino won awards for New Member Recruiter of the Year and Large Business of the Year. Angell-Case said she can’t say enough about General Manager Jim Thomason and his team at the Grand Victoria. “They brought in 21 new members last year,” Angell-Case said. “That’s incredible.”

Other winners were Mark Your Space for Small Business of the Year, River Valley Workforce Investment Board for the Workforce Development Award and Bear Family McDonald’s Restaurants for the Business-School Partnership Award.