GENESEO, Illinois – The Geneseo Chamber of Commerce members gathered recently at Lavender Crest Winery to celebrate business leaders and a shared vision for the future at the 2025 Annual Dinner & Awards Banquet.
“The Geneseo Chamber isn’t coasting, we’re charging forward and we’re bringing Geneseo with us,” Zack Sullivan, IOM, executive director of the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce, told the crowd.
The banquet was more than a celebration, Mr. Sullivan added. It was an opportunity to reflect on a year of milestones and to share plans for continued progress.
- Among the key achievements he highlighted there were:
- Investment in Geneseo chambers staff professional development. That included Mr. Sullivan’s graduation from the Institute for Organizational Management development program.
- The Geneseo Chamber’s first advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. in 16 years to represent Geneseo’s business community at the national level.
- Adapting the 2024 Geneseo Christmas Walk after an ice storm forced last-minute changes.
“I can’t be the only person who has noticed Geneseo’s positive economic momentum over the past five years,” Mr. Sullivan also told the crowd.
“This progress is not the result of two people at the chamber office,” he added. “It is the result of all of the hard work our business community puts into their crafts, of the leadership at our city, and of your dedication to making Geneseo the best place it can be.”
That night the chamber also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the local economy, the release said. “We are eager to see Geneseo’s continued growth during the second half of the decade,” the release said. “And we’ll be here to support Geneseo’s incredible business community along the way.”
Innovation, leadership
A highlight of the night was honoring individuals and organizations that exemplify leadership, service, and innovation in the Geneseo business community.
Honorees were:
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Lorrie and Barry Snodgrass.
- Business of the Year – Blain’s Farm & Fleet.
- Business Person of the Year – Tina Cooper of NOSH.
- ACES Award – Geneseo School District 228 (presented by Inspire Continuing Care; accepted by Superintendent Dr. Laura Delgado).
- Beautification Award – Erdman Construction, LLC.
- Rising Star Award – Habaneros Geneseo.
- Volunteers of the Year – Kristen Granell and Ashley Moore, Little Miss Geneseo Music Fest Pageant.
In the release, the Geneseo Chamber also thanked its 2025 Annual Dinner & Awards Banquet sponsors. They were: Apex Clean Energy, Mel-O-D Lane Boarding, Sedlock Construction, Trackside Liquors, In A Godda Da Vida Music, Geneseo Communications, Catherine Rothschild CPA, and Caffeine and Carbs.
The evening’s activities ended with an auction, networking, and a shared sense of excitement for Geneseo’s future, the release said.
