News Release: 12/16/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Blacksburg, VA — December 16, 2025
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Announces Annual Award Recipients at Sold-Out Awards Dinner
The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the region’s top leaders, nonprofits, and businesses at its Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner on December 4 at The Inn at Virginia Tech. This year’s event sold out with more than 450 attendees, marking one of the Chamber’s strongest turnouts to date. The evening also highlighted a major organizational milestone: the Chamber successfully completed 100 percent of its Strategic Goals for the year.
Awards were presented across multiple categories, honoring individuals and organizations for their leadership, service, and commitment to strengthening Montgomery County and the New River Valley. Inducted into the Hall of Fame were Erica Conner, Gil Yearwood, Larry Linkous, Nathaniel Bishop, and Sharon Scott. Additional honorees included Whitney Stokes (Board Leadership & Engagement Award), Patrick Moran (Ambassador Volunteer of the Year), Agape Center of the NRV (Large Non-Profit), Imagination Library of Montgomery County, VA (Small Non-Profit), Kelsey Grow (Distinguished Non-Profit Leader), Tullio O’Reilly (Community Service Individual), Volunteer Montgomery (Community Service Organization), Shelly Stoddard (LNRV Sparkplug Award), Kobia Consulting (Outstanding New Member), Baseline Solar (Green Business), PC Land Electronic Repair (Tech Business), Original Frameworks (Minority Owned Business), Beauty Lab (Small Business), Mayor Michael Barber (Distinguished Government Leader), Jay Tucker (Distinguished Business Leader), and Northpoint Insurance Advisors (Business of the Year).
Reflecting on the evening, Chamber President & CEO Steve Baffuto noted how meaningful it was to see the business community come together. “When you look around a room like that, you really see the impact our local businesses and nonprofits have on this region,” Baffuto said. “Every one of our honorees is doing something that makes Montgomery County stronger. Hitting all of our strategic goals this year wasn’t just a win for the Chamber—it was a win for the whole community.”
The Chamber extended its appreciation to the event’s sponsors, whose support helped make the celebration possible. A full list can be found on the Chamber’s website.
About the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce serves businesses and organizations throughout Montgomery County and the New River Valley by providing leadership development, networking opportunities, advocacy, and community-focused programming. To learn more or get involved, visit montgomerycc.org.
