The Sumter County Chamber of Commerce hosted its “Plaid & Pearls” awards gala Friday night at the Savannah Center. The gala, which is in its 91st year and had more than 250 attendees, awarded businesses and individuals in six separate categories for their outstanding accomplishments in Sumter County. Additionally, the night’s ceremonies served as a “passing of the torch” from outgoing president Lt. Bobby Caruthers of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office to new president, Brett Hage.
“We had a great year last year,” said Caruthers of his time as president. “It was really neat to be apart of all of the exciting things that went on. We started with the Sumter County mud run and are ending the year tomorrow with the opening of the Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway.”
The byway designation celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park in Bushnell.
The awards ceremony featured performances by students Emily Rose and Emily Graham. Presenters honored members with the following awards:
- Outstanding Non-Profit – Scenic Sumter Heritage Byway
- Outstanding Chamber Volunteer – Blue Monster Promotions
- Outstanding Small Business – HighFive Your Life Frozen Yogurt
- Outstanding Large Business – Mike Scott Plumbing
- Business Woman of the Year – Connie Mahan, Connie Mahan Real Estate Group
- Business Woman of the Year – Sean Williams, PSL Construction
New president Brett Hage is honored and excited with the opportunity. “Leadership is not about position or title. It’s about influence. Keeping things simple through integrity, core values, and hard work” said Hage. He credits his philosophy to his time working at T & D Distribution, Inc. under the tutelage of owner Terry Yoder. “It’s my desire to drive this team to be great.”
To view pictures from the event, visit our Facebook page by clicking here and navigate to our photo albums.