News Release

WARSAW — The Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its Annual Chamber Awards.

Awards include the Man and Woman of the Year awards, as well as Business of the Year, Rising Star, Making a Difference, Health & Wellness in the Workplace, LaunchPad Family Friendly Business, Government Excellence and Young Adult Professional of the Year. These awards will be presented at the Chamber’s Annual Awards Dinner in March 2021.

All business award winners must be active members of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce. Award nominations are due by Friday, Jan. 29, and can be submitted through the Chamber’s website, http://www.kchamber.com/award-nominations.

The Man and Woman of the Year awards are given to any man or woman who resides in Kosciusko County and has contributed to the county, has been a county resident for no less than five years and has made a positive impact on the quality of life in the county.

These awards are sponsored by 1st Source Bank and Times-Union. The last Man and Woman of the Year were Bill Warren and Deb Bishop.

The Business of the Year Award lauds a Kosciusko Chamber member that has exhibited exemplary leadership, business growth and service to the community. The recipient will be recognized as a leader in the business community and as serving as positive example of business practices.

This award is sponsored by Lake City Bank; the last award recipient was Maple Leaf Farms.

The Rising Star Award is given to a business or organization that has been in operation for less than five years. This award celebrates Kosciusko County’s highest performing new companies and recognizes those that have exceeded initial targets for growth and financial performance, best demonstrated an understanding of their competitors, customers and the markets they operate in and have the foundations in place for continued commercial success.

This award is sponsored by Horizon Bank and was most recently presented to Network Partners.

Each year, the Making a Difference Award is given to a business, nonprofit or service organization that has made a significant impact in Kosciusko County. This business or organization should also support the Chamber through participation.

Last time, the award was given to the K21 Health Foundation; it is sponsored by Old National Bank.

Sponsored by PNC Bank, the Health & Wellness in the Workplace Award is presented to a Chamber member who has created and maintained healthy practices in their workplaces. Criteria include wellness activities, employee engagement, access to resources and a healthy environment.

The last recipient of this award was the Bowen Center.

At the last awards, the Chamber introduced a new award, the LaunchPad Family Friendly Business Award. This award is given to a business that provides innovative and creative solutions to support their employees’ family and/or child care needs.

It was presented to the Warsaw Early Learning Academy last time and is sponsored by Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice.

The Government Excellence Award is given to any official (either elected or appointed) who has performed a particular service or overall effectiveness in office on behalf of residents within Kosciusko County, is currently in any level of government office or has been out of office no more than two years (local, state or federal) and has demonstrated commitment to supporting business.

This award is sponsored by Zimmer Biomet, and the last award winner was Michelle Puckett.

The Young Adult Professional of the Year Award is given to any individual who is 39 years or younger and is employed in Kosciusko County, has achieved success and excellence in their field before the age of 40 and has demonstrated leadership, initiative and dedication in pursuing their career and commitments outside of work.

The last winner was Jeri Purdy.