Mentor chamber chooses winners.

Winners are:

Jenniffer & Co., Business of the Year.
Chamber Executive Director Marie S. Pucak said proprietor Jennifer Pealer has experienced tremendous growth in her business but is also “exemplary in her community support, in good times and bad.”

Pucak noted that when community agencies have fund-raisers, businesses supply the prizes. Pealer is known for helping organizations such as Lake Hospital Foundation and Locks of Love as well as individuals. She also has won an Outstanding Boss award.

Jo Howell, Citizen of the Year.
“Where do you begin with Jo Howell?” Pucak said. “She’s amazing. She’s such a community-involved person.”

Some organizations Howell is known for helping are the Society for Rehabilitation, fine arts programs in Willoughby and Mentor and Lake Hospital Foundation.

Howell owns Corporate Art Gallery in Mentor.

Lakeland Tech Prep Consortium at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, Organization of t he Year.
”I think one of the unique things we do at the chamber is recognize the value of what organizations bring to the health and quality of life of your community, and Tech Prep is recognized nationally as one of the best tech-prep programs in the country,” Pucak said.

The program is a partnership between education and businesses.

“They’ve come to look at themselves as one of the best-kept secrets, and that’s certainly not their goal,” she said.

The chamber is honored to help make the community more aware of the program, Pucak said.

A banquet to honor the winners will be at 6 p.m. March 19 at LaMalfa Centre at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Mentor. Cost is $45 a person. Reservations are required. For more information, call (440) 946-2625.

The News-Herald - January 10, 2004press section