By Patrick Baron
BLOOMINGTON – The McLean County Chamber of Commerce presented awards to local businesses and individuals last night at the chamber’s annual gala.
The Business Excellence Awards are given to businesses and individuals who strive to make a difference in the community.
Dr. Larry Dietz, President of Illinois State University, was given the Legacy of Excellence Award for his work at the university. Dietz said while the award may have his name on it, he shares it with the faculty and staff of ISU.
“I really feel like I’m accepting this on behalf of a lot of people at the university and then the community, who have invested in the university,” said Dietz. “I’m one of many who should be on that stage tonight.”
Dietz has worked with several local organizations, such as the Red Cross, the March of Dimes, Walk With Me, BN Advantage, and many more.
The Green Excellence Award was given to Connect Transit. The transportation company has been installing solar infrastructure to provide power for new electric buses and are working to reduce energy demand.
The Nonprofit Excellence Award was presented to Mid Central Community Action. MCCA works with domestic violence victims and provides a HUD-approved housing counseling agency.
Red Raccoon Games won the Microbusiness Excellence Award. The store, located in downtown Bloomington, is one of Illinois’ largest board game stores, having over 1,500 games in stock at any given time. Red Raccoon has worked with the Bloomington Public Library, donating items to the summer reading program.
Abbey Placements was presented the Small Business Excellence Award. First opened in 1982, Abbey Placements facilitates the hiring of temporary and permanent workers to open workforce positions.
The Large Business Excellence Award was won by Heartland Community College. Heartland has established an environment of support and values, with 5,200 credit students and around 12,000 non-credit students enrolling in the Fall 2017 semester.
Patrick Baron can be reached at patrick.baron@cumulus.com.
