Danville Pittsylvania chamber holds annual awards dinner

Celebrating the stars in local education, business and energy efficiency was the theme of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards dinner Thursday night.
“We have a roomful — and a region full — of stars. Each of you should be commended for the support and commitment that you give to your community,” Roger Gillispie, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, said Thursday.
This year’s winners of special recognition were presented with awards following the dinner.
Educator of the Year awards were presented to one teacher in each of the elementary, middle and high schools in Danville and Pittsylvania County. Danville Public Schools Superintendent Sue Davis and Pittsylvania County Schools Superintendent James McDaniel presented the awards.
In Danville, the winners are Gail George-Ann Gunn, a library media specialist at G.L.H. Johnson Elementary School; Catiia Green, a sixth-grade teacher at Edwin A. Gibson Middle School; and Lynn Dillon, a health and physical education teacher with the W.W. Moore Jr. Detention Home Education Program.
The county’s winners are Joyce Spencer, a Title I teacher at Chatham Elementary School; Cathy McKinney, a seventh-grade math and pre-algebra teach at Dan River Middle School; and Marianne Jones, a special education teacher at Tunstall High School.
Danville Utilities also presented its first-time energy efficiency — or E2 — awards to local businesses that are leading the way in energy efficiency. Kevin Martin, key accounts manager for Danville Utilities, made the presentations to eight of the utility’s largest customers:
n Lowe’s Home Improvement, for providing and promoting E2 products;
n Cloverdale Lumber Co. and Unarco, for investing in plant improvements for more efficient use of electric power;
n DanChem Technologies and Nestle USA, for implementing Department of Energy recommendations and investing in
improvements for water and natural gas efficiency
n Corning Inc. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., for their long-standing commitment to E2
n Intertape Polymer Group, for leading the way in E2 in many ways, including involving employees in coming up with energy-saving ideas
Coy Harville, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and Danville City Manager Jerry Gwaltney made the business recognition awards.
The Emerging Enterprise Award went to Stephen B. Miller, owner of Smith Mountain Farm & Stables LLC, while the Enduring Enterprise Award went to Laura Adcock, owner of Premier Graphics.
Ross Electric Inc. and Northern Lites was awarded the 2008 Small Business of the Year Award; Dewberry netted the 2008 Medium Business of the Year Award and Goodyear was presented with the 2008 Large Business of the Year Award.
Also at the awards ceremony, Gillispie pointed out that the chamber recently received a 5-Star Accreditation. He said only 41 chambers in the country have this accreditation — less than one percent of the 6,936 chambers nationwide.
“To receive a 5-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the initial application was phenomenal,” Gillispie said.
He presented the official plaque to David Bennett, who chaired the chamber’s board of directors during 2007, when this accreditation was applied for.
Bennett in turn gave Laurie Moran, the chamber’s president, kudos for working diligently toward earning the honor.
“Everyone here is passionate about what they do. But I guess I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that this award is the passion of our leader, Laurie Moran,” Bennett said.
• Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.