96th Annual Awards Banquet

The Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce is honored to announce that Mr. Wilbert Ellis, better known as Coach Ellis has been nominated and chosen to receive the 2015 Robert E. Russ Award, to be presented at the Chamber’s Awards Banquet on January 22. This award is the highest honor given by the Chamber for community advancement.
 
“Coach Ellis was among eight community members to be nominated this year,” Judy Copeland, Chamber president said. “You don’t have to look very hard to see why Ruston-Lincoln is such a special place, it’s the incredible people.”
 
The Chamber’s Chair Elect, Cathi Cox-Boniol said of the committee’s choice, “There absolutely could not be a finer selection for the Russ Award than Coach Ellis.  When you think about an individual who has dedicated their life to enhancing not only their community but the people in it, the name of Wilbert Ellis has to come to mind.  I can assure you there are countless folks in Lincoln Parish whose lives have been directly impacted by this man and he has contributed significantly to their quality of life.  And that in turn has impacted us all.   A legendary baseball coach whose name can be seen on everything from facilities to Hall of Fame plaques, perhaps his greatest imprint will be on the legions of young people he has tirelessly worked with through the decades.  Following in the exquisite footsteps of his mentor “Prez” Jones, Coach Ellis has left an indelible impression on the face of Lincoln Parish, something he continues to do to this day as a true champion for his home and the people in it.”
 
The 2015 Business of the Year Award will be presented to The Fashion of Ruston. The Fashion, established 60 years ago, now in the ownership of Kelly Hogan, continues to bring new and exciting things downtown. She has a way of turning shopping into a creative and fun event, for women and men. Chamber board member and owner of Chartreuse Pear, Travis Lee said, “Kelly has been a forerunner for reviving downtown. She took a leap of faith moving from the long established location to the historic hotel and it has paid off. The Fashion is a pillar of downtown Ruston. She has an incredible ability to encourage other business owners and initiate collaborations that help strengthen our community.”
 
The 2015 Ambassador of the Year is Kristi C. Hardaway. Ambassadors are Chamber members who want to be more active in the business community. They’re also an extension of the Chamber staff, helping to stay connected, encourage, and have a closer relationship with the Chamber’s members.
 
“Kristi has fervently served the Chamber and its members with her ever-present willingness to assist wherever needed and her enthusiasm is welcoming and contagious,” said Linda Graham,  Program Manager for the Ambassadors. Kristi is the Community Educator for Princeton Place.
 
The 96^th Annual Awards Banquet presented by Bank of Ruston will be held Friday, January 22, 2016 at the Ruston Civic Center. Several community awards will be presented on behalf of various groups in addition to the Chamber’s awards including; the Ruston Kiwanis' Outstanding Firefighter, Law Enforcement Officer, and Educator of the Year, the Lincoln Parish School District’s Distinguished Partners in Education, the Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Hospitality award, the Junior Auxiliary of Ruston’s Betty Robbins Volunteer of the Year award, and the Ruston Rotary Club’s Bill Best Humanitarian award. Winners of these awards will be announced next week.   Make plans to come show your support for these outstanding Lincoln Parish citizens.


The Banquet begins at 6 pm. with a wine-and-cheese social sponsored by Origin Bank. Anna Blake, Miss Queen Dixie Gem will entertain guests with her musical talent of “tickling the ivories,” sponsored by Hunt, Guillot and Associates. Dinner will be served at 6:45 pm. Attire is business casual.
 
Tickets are $40 each for Chamber members, and $50 for non-members. A reserved table for six, for Chamber members is $250, non-members is $275. Attending Chamber members are encouraged to compete in the table decorating contest. Those with a reserved table can decorate a table at no additional cost and those purchasing individual tickets may decorate for $25. This is an excellent way to market your business or organization to more than 250 people. Prize categories are Best Use of Recycled Materials, So Ruston, and Viewers’ Choice. Guests will be asked to vote for their favorites during the wine and cheese social.
 
The banquet is also the time that the Chamber recognizes its outgoing board members as well as inducting the 2016 board members. Having completed their terms and rolling off of the Board are Mike Jones, Sharon Shrell and Doug Postel. Postel will continue to serve in an Ex-Officio capacity representing LA Delta Community College.
 
The 2016 Executive board appointments are as follows: Chair & Finance, Patrick Blanchard, LMCH OWL Center; Chair Elect & Program Development, Cathi Cox-Boniol, Lincoln ACHIEVE; Community Development, Brandon Sutherland, Hampton Inn; Economic Development, Lee Denny, Bank of Ruston; Organizational Development. Donna Ott, Hunt, Guillot & Associates and Past Chair, Mike Jones, Argent Financial.
 
Incoming board officers are Michael Gahagan, Holiday Inn Express; Josh Perot, First National Bank; and Earl Smith, Wells Fargo Advisors. Emily Gatlin of Legacy Hospice (LOTS) completed a term for a vacant seat during the fourth quarter of 2015 and was reappointed this year. Chamber board members serve three-year terms.
 
For tickets, register online at www.rustonlincoln.org, call the Chamber at 255-2031, or drop by the Chamber office located at 2111 North Trenton Street.