A local community leader received honors at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s 100th Annual Meeting and Citizen of the Year Award event, presented by Merrimack County Savings Bank on Nov. 6 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. The gala welcomed more than 350 community, nonprofit and business leaders from the Capital Region who came to celebrate 2019 Citizen of the Year recipient Claudia Walker.
Walker’s nomination by a committee of past Chamber board chairmen received high praise from those in attendance and prompted Congresswoman Annie Kuster to write a letter presented at the event along with the Citizen of the Year commendation. “You’ve ensured a legacy of civic engagement in the Capital Region,” wrote Kuster. “I commend you for your commitment to the Concord community and I am honored to congratulate you.” Walker, with family and friends by her side, received the Chamber’s highest honor from 2017-18 Board Chairman Phil Hastings of Cleveland, Waters & Bass, PA.
The event also celebrated the Chamber’s centennial anniversary as New Hampshire’s state capital chamber of commerce. Additional speakers included Concord Mayor Jim Bouley and James Milliken, past president, who provided the invocation. A video created by Concord TV was also presented at the event, which included interviews with Concord area business leaders, and community members who reflected on the impact of the Chamber’s 100 years of service in the greater Concord community.
Outgoing Board Chairman Joe Kasper of Northeast Delta Dental reflected upon the Chamber’s record-breaking increase in membership and participation in the Department of Transportation’s planned I-93 expansion, and outlined the Chamber’s diverse programs that have supported area businesses and the greater Concord community for decades.
Chamber President Tim Sink thanked Kasper for his skilled leadership and also welcomed incoming 2019-20 Board Chairwoman Nicki Clarke of Capitol Center for the Arts and Bank of NH Stage, who reflected on the recent improvements to the downtown area, and the effect that has had on a growing nightlife scene. Clarke anticipates upcoming Chamber research into creating the first Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for New Hampshire, which will encourage organizations to utilize Concord as a destination for conferences and corporate meetings, and will create traction for a continued increase in visitors to the greater Concord area. Chamber Vice President Valerie Blake was also thanked for her many years of dedicated service to the Chamber.
The Chamber extends special thanks to this year’s Presenting Sponsor Merrimack County Savings Bank and the following sponsors for their support: Corporate Sponsors Dartmouth-Hitchcock Concord, Eversource Energy Services, Grappone Automotive Group, and Unitil; Wine Sponsor Eastern Bank; Dessert Sponsor Bar Harbor Bank & Trust; Event Sponsors Devine Millimet, H.L. Turner Group Inc., Liberty Utilities, Mason + Rich, PA, Nathan Wechsler & Company, PA, Northeast Delta Dental, Orr & Reno, PA, Sanel NAPA, Service Credit Union, and Servpro of Concord; Associate Sponsors Cleveland, Waters & Bass, PA, and McLane Middleton, PA; Supporting Sponsors Concord Hospital, and The NHHEAF Network Organizations; and In-Kind Sponsors D. McLeod Inc., Grappone Conference Center, Speedy Printing & Copying, and White Mountain Gourmet Coffee.
Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce
