This year marked the second year for the Valor Awards, a distinguished ceremony brought to you by the Exchange Club of Northside Bloomington in partnership with the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony is dedicated to honoring the bravery and selflessness of our first responders. Set to spotlight these everyday heroes, the Valor Awards will recognized one individual from each sector for their exemplary service. The event, proudly presented by Old National Bank & Weddle Bros. Construction Companies, unfolded on Tuesday, May 6th, 2025 at the Monroe Convention Center. See photos from the event below!

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce held its 109th Annual Meeting and Community Awards presented by: Old National Bank on Thursday, September 26, 2024 at the Monroe Convention Center.

The Chamber recognized several honorees during the awards portion of the event. The 2024 Community Award award winners included:

​Chamber Ambassador of the Year – Terri Horne, Callie & Company Entertainment
Chamber Ambassador Chair – Sandra McGow, Bell Trace Senior Living Community
Best of the Best – Hurlow Wealth Management Group
New Business of the Year – Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance - The Barrett Agency
Business of the Year Award – Weddle Brothers Construction Companies
Community Anchor Award – Constellation Stage & Screen
4 Under 40 – Cortnie Jamison, Village Caregiving; Kate Kamel, Boston Scientific; Rish Naran, Andy Mohr Honda/Hyundai; and Michael Waterford, Ivy Tech Community College
Outstanding Educators - Tyler Abel, Summit Elementary School; Marcus Debro, Bloomington HS North; Molly Giddens, Batchelor Middle School; and Lindsey Owens, Edgewood Primary School
Lifetime Achievement Award – Jeff Baldwin, Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington

The Valor Awards recognized the following individuals: (* Winner of sector)

Law Enforcement
- Trooper Ben Burris – Indiana State Police Department
- Cpl. Deandre Moxley – Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
- Officer Jeff Raybould – Bloomington Police Department*
- Deputy Chief George Robinson – Ellettsville Police Department
- Officer Ryan Skaggs – Indiana University Police Department

Fire Department
- Battalion Chief Clay Edwards – Monroe Fire Protection District
- Capt. Kenny Hinkle – City of Bloomington Fire Department
- Capt. Matthew Siebott – Ellettsville Fire Department*

Dispatch
- Jarrod Bailey – Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch Center*

Correctional Center
- Sgt. Paul Patton – Monroe County Sheriff’s Office*

Nominations were submitted from each department based on the three criteria of Leadership, Excellence, and Valor.

The Exchange Club of Northside Bloomington also awarded Captain Jeff Hacker with the David Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, an award presented to deserving firefighters based on integrity, professionalism, and demonstrated commitment to the service of their community, and their department.

Photos from the event can be found below! 
(Photos provided by The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce and Bloomington Photobooth Company)

As part of the Chamber’s and the Exchange Club’s commitment to community, we partnered with Back the Line Monroe County to raise funding at this event. This organization is a 501(c)3 local non-profit organization that offers support to Monroe County's first responders and their families at times when tragedy strikes. Back the Line offers immediate monetary and emotional support to the surviving families of a fallen or disabled Monroe County first responder. This organization actively supports first responders’ mental health and morale during the year by providing access to peer support, chaplain services, social workers, grief counseling, and incident debriefings. 

Without the continuous support of our sponsors, this event could not have been possible! Thank you to Presenting Sponsors Old National Bank, and Weddle Brothers Construction Company. As well as Sound Management's B97 and Hoosier Country 105.1, Baugh Fine Print & Mailing, Bloomington Photobooth Company, Cook Medical, Forthphaze Technologies, Nature's Way, CFC Properties, Duke Energy, German American Bank, and Simtra BioPharma Solutions. We also want to thank the businesses that purchased a table specifically for the first responders and their families including Boston Scientific, F.C. Tucker Realtors, Simtra BioPharma Solutions, The Mill, and Uptown Cafe.

For over two decades, The Chamber’s Success School has championed excellence in education with the annual awards ceremony, which recognizes the best teachers and programs in accredited schools across Monroe County. This year eight educators, one educational program, and one lifetime achievement recipient were honored in a community celebration at the 22nd Annual Educator of the Year Awards held on the evening of Thursday, March 2nd, 2023, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington, Shreve Hall. The program featured student-led entertainment with a performance from the cast of “Into the Woods” from Bloomington High School South. 

On Wednesday, May 25, 2022, The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce held it's 12th annual Women Excel Bloomington awards ceremony at the Indiana Memorial Union's Alumni Hall. With over 150 attendees, our seven award winners were able to celebrate all that they have accomplished. The 2022 Women Excel Bloomington award winners are: Danielle Bruce, Jennifer Crossley, Kaisa Goodman, Ashley Hazelrig, Amy Meek, Erika Oliphant, and Karin St. John. 

We were fortunate enough to have such support from our sponsors and our community. We would like to thank our sponsors for their contributions: B97, Cassady Electrical Contractors, Cook Group, Old National Bank, City of Bloomington, Indiana University, Nature's Way, IU Credit Union, IU Health Plans, Bill C. Brown Associates, Building Associates, CFC Properties, Duke Energy, First Financial Bank, German American Bank, Indiana Members Credit Union, ISU/The May Agency, Ivy Tech Community College - Bloomington, Smithville, The Herald-Times, and The Monroe County YMCA.

Check out some of the photos from the event below.

We also have videos from each of the award winners. Check them out below!