Lakewood Chamber Of Commerce Announces 2017 Award Recipients
The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce has announced the recipients of their 2017 Outstanding New Member, Business Person of the Year, and Small Business of the Year awards.
Ms. Amy Collins, co-owner and co-founder of Lakewood Dish Dash, a business that organizes restaurant & specialty food shop walking tours in Lakewood, has been selected as the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce Outstanding New Member for 2017. Ms. Collins has served on the Taste of Lakewood committee as the Chamber’s restaurant liaison for the past several years and has been instrumental in securing food vendors for the event. In 2016 Amy joined the Holiday Bid & Buy Online Auction committee and helped obtain a record number of donated items for the Chamber’s annual online event that features Lakewood businesses and promotes buying local during the holiday season. The Taste of Lakewood and the Holiday Bid & Buy Online Auction are the Chamber’s two largest community events and two most important fundraisers, and Amy Collins has actively worked to grow both to record numbers. The Outstanding New Member award was presented to Amy by the Chamber's 2016 Outstanding New Member, Mr. Frank Scalish, owner of Scalish Construction.
Mr. Thomas Fraser, President & CEO of First Federal Lakewood, is the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce 2017 Business Person of the Year. Tom is a recognized leader and active advocate for Lakewood. Both personally and professionally, he is strongly invested in his hometown. As President of First Federal Lakewood, a corporate citizen since 1935 and one of the city’s largest employers, Tom recognizes the importance of the bank’s leadership and support of the Lakewood community and has developed relationships with many local organizations that make Lakewood a unique and thriving city. As President of First Federal Lakewood, Tom is also a strong proponent of the value that local businesses have in the community. From working directly with other business owners on community building activities to providing resources and access to bank professionals, Tom ensures that First Federal Lakewood is an active partner in the Lakewood business community and is a key player in helping our business community thrive. Under Tom’s leadership, the bank that he used to walk past on his way to St. Edward High School has grown to be the largest depositor-owned community bank headquartered in Ohio with assets of $1.6 billion. The Business Person of the Year award was presented to Tom by the Chamber's 2016 Business Person of the Year, Ms. Lucinda Einhouse, President of Beck Center for the Arts.
GV Art + Design has been named the 2017 Lakewood Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in the inaugural year of the award. GV Art + Design is a creative boutique specializing in original artwork and design including print and web design, logos, photography, original one-of-a-kind Etch A Sketch art and apparel. From day one GV Art + Design Apparel has been getting local and National attention: from SportsCenter, TNT, MLB Network and Jimmy Kimmel, to the front pages of Yahoo, ESPN, NBA.com and Sports Illustrated. In 2009, they started the “Cleveland That I Love” campaign which has become more than just apparel but a statement of Cleveland pride. Through their work with professional athletes and teams throughout the country, GV Apparel is now featured in professional team shops and carried in dozens of stores throughout Northeast Ohio. In August of 2014 they opened up a retail studio on Detroit Avenue, in 2015 they opened a second store in Downtown Willoughby, and in 2016 the GV team purchased the former Rose & Sons Antiques building in Lakewood, opening their new store and studio space in February of 2017. GV Art + Design has become a regional destination for the hottest Cleveland apparel and artwork, drawing visits from top Cleveland athletes and celebrities. They have attracted a loyal social media following (over 44,000 on Instagram alone) – GV fans who anxiously await the next t-shirt design, often released within hours of memorable moments in Cleveland sports.
The Lakewood Chamber of Commerce presented these awards and honored their Past Presidents and long-term members at their Annual Awards Luncheon on June 23rd at Vosh Lakewood.
About the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce
Serving the greater Lakewood community for over 100 years, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce is the leading membership organization for the advocacy and advancement of business interests. Comprised of more than 325 member businesses and individuals, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce has a long history of advocating on behalf of businesses owners by providing group purchasing programs for products and services, advocating for changes in legislation or regulation, offering affordable marketing & promotional opportunities, and providing educational seminars, networking events, and monthly meetings for small businesses to connect with and learn from each other. (www.lakewoodchamber.org)