This is the first time we have ever given this award; our Board Member of the Decade is Bert Sahlberg.

He graduated from the University of Idaho and worked at the Tribune as the sports editor for 13 years. He then joined Lewis-Clark State College as Director of Communications and worked there for 20 years. He also is the host of Opinion Please on KOZE, does the commentary for Lewiston High football and Lewis-Clark State basketball games, and helps broadcast Avista NAIA World Series games with SWX TV in Spokane.

Having served on the board for over a decade, Bert could be found at all of our events, including manning a very cold weigh station late at night for the former Steelhead Derby! He has assisted with the North Idaho Legislative Tour every year since and helped the Chamber replicate its success with the Eastern Washington Legislative Tour. In addition, he was the chair of the Idaho Government Affairs Committee and Chamber Idaho legislative advisor, helping with press releases and navigating tough situations.

His famous for, “Alright, beers on the table!” It didn’t even have to be beer, it just meant, I am going to give you information, no matter what the information was or what you were drinking, you would smile and put your drink down to listen. We are grateful for his service and commitment to the Lewis Clark Valley Chamber’s success through the years and wish him well in his new role at Clearwater Paper.

Our Small Business of the Year goes to My Architect.

This is a business who deserves such an award when their Office Manager Mindy attends and writes notes for all of the Ambassador meetings. This is time spent away from the office doing valuable work for the Chamber. Tim Lynch has been involved in the Liberty Theater preservation, attending the most recent unveiling–a community steward indeed! This is a company who has dedicated countless hours not just to the Chamber—Tim has served on the Chamber’s Board of Directors, including as Chair, and even participated in the first Leadership Class to help get it off the ground—but to the community. The principals in the firm have been instrumental in the Lewiston High School development, taken on leadership roles with the Lewiston Civic Theater and Beautiful Downtown Lewiston, and support many other organization through time and talent.

Our Medium business of the year award goes to The Holiday Inn and Quay Convention Center in Clarkston. This hotel was built in 1989 as a Quality Inn with 97 hotel rooms and almost 10,000 square feet of meeting space. It features a full service restaurant and lounge open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. During the peak season the hotel & restaurant host the cruise boat passengers and show their guests all that our amazing Valley has to offer. From Laurie in Sales, Alexis in Food and Beverage, and Nadine (24 years of service!!) in Housekeeping, this staff has been so accommodating to our Chamber, area non profits, and hundreds of local businesses and events. They are always eager to help and accommodate, and we aren’t easy to please!

Our Large Business of the Year is the Lewiston Tribune!

Here is a 100+ year-old community institution with a list of accomplishments and community involvement too numerous to count. The Tribune is the standard-bearer for our local business community, sponsoring the “Buy Local” campaign, the “Made By Us” marketing efforts, and supports dozens, if not hundreds of organizations through media donations. What sets them apart is not just their community involvement, but the hard-core focus on independent journalism, which unfortunately, no longer pays for itself. Communities that lose their local publication to an outside media outlet often see increases in taxes when the independent journalists no longer cover local issues. So how is the Tribune doing this today? They are re-writing the books. Instead of relying on ads, they are capitalizing on their printing press to spearhead printed packaging—think a company logo on the paper that is put into the box to protect the contents. It’s simply revolutionary and is the fact that it’s starting here in small-town Idaho is beyond impressive. They launched an online media and graphics business and are competing against the heavy-hitters in billboard advertising. Here’s to the next 100 years of the Lewiston Tribune!

Throughout the year, the Lewis Clark Chamber of Commerce calls on volunteers to support our mission. These volunteers, also know as Ambassadors, work tirelessly at events, meetings, and behind the scenes. It’s no secret that our Chamber has gone through a lot of change and riding it out hasn’t been the easiest. But there has been one Ambassador who has risen to the top and over the last couple of years has continued to be a standout volunteer. Not only has he volunteered relentlessly, he’s also been a great advocate of our Chamber by bringing new volunteers to meetings, assisting our CEO in the transition of new leadership and even bringing his kid with him to business after hours to volunteer! The Ambassador group would be the same without him; thank you Matt Sanchez of Ace Insurance.