Each year the Chamber honors area businesses and members of our community with its most prestigious awards - Business of the Year, Partner of the Year, and Citizen of the Year.
The NLCC is now accepting nominations for the 2023 awards. Now is the time to nominate area businesses, organizations and individuals that you feel have gone above and beyond this year in support of the chamber and our community.
Any business, organization, or individual that has received an award in the past 10 years is not eligible to be nominated (see list below). As such, any winners from 2012-2022 are not eligible to be nominated for any category. Nominations for the 2023 awards will be accepted online now through Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
Award Winners are determined by a selection committee consisting of NLCC Board Members and past award winners. Awardees are selected based on how they meet the qualifications, not by the number of nomination submissions. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the NLCC office at 815-485-4241.
Qualifications:
- Business of the Year
- Must be a Chamber member in good standing.
- Consideration of how long the business has been a Member of the NLCC and the New Lenox business community.
- Consideration of how the business has consistently supported, promoted and contributed to the NLCC.
- Consideration of how the business supports and contributes to the New Lenox Community.
- Has demonstrated success within its industry.
- Schools, churches, civic organizations, and not-for-profit groups are not eligible
- Partner of the Year
- Must be a Chamber member in good standing.
- Consideration of how long the organization has been a Member of the NLCC and the New Lenox community.
- Consideration of how the organization has consistently supported, promoted and contributed to the NLCC.
- Consideration of how the organization supports and contributes to the New Lenox Community.
- Has demonstrated success within its industry.
- Eligible entities include schools, churches, civic organizations and not-for-profit groups.
- Citizen of the Year
- Individual should have history of influence in the community
- Maintain a multi-faceted involvement in the community
- Has passion for “good work” done in the community and is an inspiration to others
- Sitting elected paid government officials are not eligible
Previous Winners:
Business of the Year:
2022 Old Plank Trail Community Bank
2021 Raffy's Candy Store
2020 Ranch Frostie
2019 Gina's Teardrop Café
2018 Grounds Guys of New Lenox
2017 Atrium Family Dental
2016 M & M Custom Flooring, Inc.
2015 Animal Clinic at New Lenox
2014 Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center
2013 Central Collision Center
2012 Chicago Dough Company
2011 Bella Fiori Flower Shop
2010 Berkot's Super Foods
2009 Gatto's Restaurant & Bar
2008 LincolnWay Community Bank
2007 Tim Hartnell COUNTRY Financial
2006 Silver Cross Hospital
2005 Heritage Bank
2004 Inland Arts & Graphics
2003 VanGampler Construction
2002 NLSB (Harris Bank)
2001 Lincolnway Body Shop
2000 Kathy Miller State Farm Insurance
1999 Evergreen Oak Electric/Crest Lighting Studio
1998 Video Master
1997 First Chicago Bank
1996 Continental Cable TV
1995 New Lenox Lumber
Partner of the Year
2022 New Lenox Rotary Club
2021 New Lenox School Dist. 122 PTO
2020 Lincoln-Way High School Dist. 210 Foundation for Educational Excellence
2019 Lincolnway Special Recreation Association
2018 Village of New Lenox
2017 Lincoln-Way Area Business Women's Org
2016 New Lenox Fire Protection District
2015 VFW Post 9545
2014 New Lenox Public Library
2013 New Lenox Community Park District
Citizen of the Year
2022 Ruth Colby
2021 Brian Fischer
2020 Nancy Dye
2019 Frank Gatto
2018 Ed Selvas
2017 William Krohn
2016 Gary Chenney, ShareFest New Lenox (Lifetime Chamber Member Award)
2015 Dan Martin, New Lenox Safe Communities America Coalition (Lifetime Chamber Member Award)
2014 Bobbie Baird (Lifetime Chamber Member Award)
2013 Ron Whitaker (Lifetime Chamber Member Award)
2012 Dunn & Niemann Real Estate (Lifetime Chamber Member Award)
2010 Jim Pitcairn
2009 Karl & Marilyn Kurtz
2008 Judy Niemann
2007 Robert Rhodes
2006 Lori Lindberg
2005 Richard Bruns
2004 Lynn Eckhardt
2003 Charles Stark
2002 Dorothy Boldt
2001 Jim Pitcairn
2000 Harold Hoyt
1999 Adonia (Donie) Meitsner
1998 Marge Persico
1997 Bobbie Baird
1996 Wayne O. Doede
1995 John J. Lucas
1994 Teri Brost
1993 Galye Valy
1992 Cathy Bitner
1991 Dennis Valy
1990 Hazel Francis
1989 Pat Holm
1988 Lewis R. Loebe
1987 Mary J. Moris
1986 Jim McCure
1985 Les Brown
1984 Art Nelson
1983 Joe Hartung
1982 Ron Whitaker
1981 Bill Athans
1980 Auxiliary Fire Department
1979 Ron Schaper
1978 Sheldon Hauck, Sr. / Wally Faulk
1977 Arnold Tyler / John Francis / Joe Wajchert
1976 Frank Goetschel / Lloyd Berlin / Father Roger Kaffer
1975 Ceward W. Batson / Stan Ekdah / Jo Taylor
1974 Joe Hartung / Joe Kruzich / John Oster