Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce

Page 4 Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce On Monday, March 11th, the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 104th Annual Meeting. Held at the Dyson- Baudo Recreation Center at Marietta Col- lege. The Washington County Sheriff's Color Guard, Pastor Chad Mugrage and MACC member Steve Flaughers, Hyde Brothers Printing and Marketing, opened the evening with the presentation of the Flags, Prayer and Nation- al An- them. The dinner portion of the event was catered by Parkhurst Din- ing and served by the Marietta High School Choral Department. J.B. Bernstein shared insights on how to transform seemingly insurmountable obstacles into tangible opportunities and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. He captured the audience of 650 area business people and the general public with his real life "chasing dreams" experi- ences. Kristopher Justice, Partner TheisenBrock, was introduced as the new MACC Board Chairman by outgoing chair- man Terry Ra- taiczak. He is the 64th person to lead the Chamber in the organization's 131 year history. Wally Kandel was honored as the 2019 Gabe Zide Citizen of the Year. Laura Miller, Marietta Noon Rotary President. Miller described Kandel as a con- tributor to the overall good of Marietta area, without monetary gain and truly a dedicated volun- teer to the Marietta area. Miller claimed Kandel champions his employees to be engaged in the communi- ty, often at his own expense. Kandel has an uncanny ability to see potential in others and paves a way for them to advance. He sets an example of service above self in his volunteerism in Rotary, the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce, the South Eastern Ohio Port Authority, chairing or sitting on numerous boards. He participated with the Building Bridges to Careers Teen Career Awareness program, helping to show our area youth that there are opportunities and reasons to stay or come back to our community, and he was instrumental in organizing and continuing the Hazardous Waste Collection Day and was a supporter of the Children Services Levy Board, while remaining actively involved in his church. Kandel personally donates time, talents and treasures as well as contribu- tions donated generously from his place of employment. Kandel partners with others with similar interests yet different talents in order to build upon ideas to further the community or particular needs within the community, and along the way builds friendships for life. Some good examples of that include his numerous record setting adventures that include raising over $38,000 for Autism while representing the Mid-Ohio Valley in The Great Race, tagging along to help his friend Kathy Schalitz win the record setting tractor land speed record, and sacrificing time and talents to help give birth to the Shale Crescent Initiative. When Miller asked Kandel one day in passing, "Why Shale Crescent? What's in it for you?" His response was iconic of his very essence. He replied, "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for today, teach a man to fish and he'll eat for the rest of his life. We owe it to those in our community who need jobs and careers to make the most of this opportunity." The Gabe Zide Citizen of the Year award was first given in 1963 to S. Durwood Hoag, former owner of the Lafayette Hotel. It is given to a Washington County resident who gives of himself or herself to make the community a better place. It was renamed in honor of Gabe Zide, who was honored in 1981. The person selected is chosen by the area service clubs: The Civitan Club, The Pioneer Ladies Civitan Club, Marietta Kiwanis, Marietta Lions, Marietta Noon Rotary, and Marietta Morning Rotary. Tom Crooks, last year's honoree, introduced Laurie Strahler as the 2019 MACC Business Leader of the Year. Strahler came from humble beginnings living in the projects of a large city in the mid-west. Since those humble beginnings she has accomplished much professionally and made significant contributions to the community based upon a strong foundation of integrity, strength, a passion for giving back and improving the lives of hundreds of our fellow citizens. She has accomplished all of this, and more, with a commitment to excellence, a very large heart, a focus on the achievement of goals and dreams…and a "get it done" attitude. Strahler took over the family business in 1999 from her mother, the most influential person in her life, and carried on the family tradition of contributing to the community of Marietta. Her mother, Betty L. Hadler, was the very first Business Leader of the Year in 1986. Strahler has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for children and teachers in our community including but not limited to fighting for a cure for cancer, creating and building awareness of healthy lifestyle and to supporting the ongoing education and development of her crew members through the Betty Hadler Memorial Scholarship Program. Strahler is the driving force behind two of the most successful local fund-raising efforts, Dancing with the Docs and the Marietta McDonald's Half Marathon. She has been recognized as one of the top owner/operators within the McDonald's organization. 104th Annual Meeting Highlights

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