Photos by Shelton's Photography
With a 1980s theme and a great turnout, this year’s Chamber Investor Banquet, held at the Meridian Tech Center South facility this past Thursday, may have been the most fun yet!
Attendees gathered around wearing a wide and eye-popping variety of Reagan Era fashion, from Culture Club to Miami Vice to Top Gun and more, and sipping on that classic cocktail of the era, the Alabama Slammer, provided by caterer Hello Catering. Near the silent auction tables sat a pristine Chevy square-body pickup truck provided for the event by Doug Watson. Multiple photo booth opportunities presented themselves for attendees to capture their back-in-time moments; the only thing missing was a Polaroid camera.
The Guthrie Chamber of Commerce puts the banquet together every year to highlight its investors and provide a quality group event.
Brittany Timmons, President of the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce, loves doing this for her business community. “It’s one of my favorite parts of my job and one of my favorite nights of the year,” she said. “It’s important for us to gather together as a Chamber community and celebrate the wins from the previous year, and to also highlight our businesses and individuals who have been doing good work in the local community.”
Timmons introduced the new Chamber Board members, and 2024 Board Chair Chris Evans officially passed the gavel to the 2025 Chair Jennifer Hussman.
The Chamber also presented its annual awards for special recognition from 2024.
Small Business of the Year, sponsored by Strive Wellness Lounge, presented by Menecca Gibbs, awarded to Dr. Dawn Chiropractic
Citizen of the Year, sponsored by Sam's Club, presented by Kristal Flury, awarded to Linda Miller
Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by Helping Community Paws and Claws, presented by Carmen Walters, awarded to Frank Sanchez
Business of the Year, sponsored by Foundation Insurance, presented by Freddie Lomax, awarded to Tim’s BodyWorx
Ambassador of the Year, sponsored by Mosquito Authority, presented by Heidi Mallow, awarded to Jill Price
Nonprofit of the Year, sponsored by Case Electric, presented by Dana Hornbeck, awarded to CASA for Kids
The annual banquet not only serves to acknowledge the investors, but it brings in important funding for the Chamber’s activities. There were multiple donated items from several of the investors’ businesses in the silent auction, and several larger items were donated for the live auction, with Jace Dunagan of Dunagan Farms serving as the auctioneer.
The event was a resounding success, and Timmons agreed. “I felt that it went fantastic!” she enthused. “We had a ton of support from the event committee, the ambassadors, and the Board. We had over 220 attendees, and the largest auction we’ve ever had!”
Truly, this year’s banquet set the bar for another successful year for the Guthrie Chamber and the Guthrie business community.