On Thursday, three area professionals were honored by the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce at the annual Small Business Awards Celebration for their leadership, creativity and commitment to our business community. Kent Lawrence, founder and owner of TVW Electrical Supply in Decatur, was named the Raymon Baker - John Cook - Ralph Jones Small Business Person of the Year; Miracle Osborne, human resources manager for ITW Sexton in Decatur, was named the Arthur Orr Young Professional of the Year; and Tricia Pruitt, Decatur Area Regional Vice President for the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama, was named the Lynn C. Fowler Non-Profit Professional of the Year.

The Chamber’s annual Small Business Awards Celebration event recognizes the contributions of small business to the local and national economies and honors business leaders in our community. Approximately two of every three new jobs are created small businesses, nearly 60 million Americans work for a small business, and nearly 80 percent of the Chamber’s members fall into that category.

After 30 years of service to our community, John Seymour will be retiring as president and chief executive officer of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, effective July 1, 2021.

On Thursday, healthcare workers from the largest employer in Morgan County and a Decatur-born pulmonologist who continues to serve as a community leader during the pandemic were recognized for their dedication and compassion over the past year with the Miss Athelyne C. Banks Citizen of the Year awards at the 89th Annual Meeting of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce.

Two members of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce were recently recognized by our state business associations as two of the top small businesses in Alabama for their impact on their surrounding community. Elite FlooringAmerica of Decatur and Valley Rubber, LLC of Falkville were finalists in their respective categories for the 2020 Small Business of the Year Awards, presented annually by the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) and the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama (CCAA).