Oak Park- River Forest Chamber of Commerce Announces 3rd Annual Business Spotlight Awards Winners
Oct 18, 2018 12:00 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oak Park- River Forest Chamber of Commerce Announces 3rd Annual Business Spotlight Awards Winners
October 18, 2018 (OAK PARK, IL) -
The Oak Park – River Forest Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the winners for the 3rd Annual Business Spotlight Awards, held Tuesday, October 9th from 5-7PM at the Nineteenth Century Club. The event, hosted by Chamber President Bob Stelletello, featured award presenters Cathy Adduci, Village President of River Forest, Senator Don Harmon, Anan Abu-Taleb, Mayor of Oak Park, and drew nearly 250 attendees representing top local business and government leaders.
Local residents and loyal customers nominated businesses and organizations in each of six categories. Led by co-chairs Anne Pezalla (Lively Athletics) and Gary Longstein (Allstate), the committee poured over 600+ nominations, representing 200 nominees, ultimately choosing 10 finalists in each category and six winners:
Community Character 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Escape Factor
Customer Experience 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Lively Athletics
Excellent Eats 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Spilt Milk
Local Legend 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Hephzibah Children’s Association
New & Notable 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: L!VE Café
Small Business Superhero 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Distinctive Coaching for Business Success
“Winners were a closely-guarded secret until the day of the event,” said Chamber President Bob Stelletello, “this was our third year presenting the Spotlight Awards and we’re always amazed at the enthusiasm of our community when it comes to our local businesses.”
The 3rd Annual Business Spotlight Awards recognizes and celebrates businesses and community organizations across six categories of leadership. The program is open to all businesses in the Oak Park, River Forest and surrounding communities. Category winners receive laudatory press and complimentary marketing, as well as a one-year free membership to the Oak Park – River Forest Chamber.
Winner Quotes:
From Jonathan Biag & Dexter Cura, co-owners of Escape Factor in Forest Park, and winners of the 2018 Community Character Award: “We're thrilled to be recognized by our community as the quirky characters we are. Escape Factor's unique, one-of-a-kind experiences have our customers exploding in laughter and high-fiving their teammates during birthday parties and team building events alike. We're silly, but fun. Puzzling, but smart. The positive response from the community continues to inspire us to create more challenges and adventures for years to come,” shared Jonathan Biag & Dexter Cura, co-owners of Escape Factor in Forest Park and winners of the 2018 Community Character Award.
From Anne Pezalla, co-owner of Lively Athletics in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 Customer Experience Award: “Kate and I were overjoyed to win the Spotlight Award for Customer Experience. When we saw the other finalists in the category, we were thrilled to be considered on the same level - these are some of our favorite businesses in Oak Park! Winning the award was amazing. We work so hard and have such a great staff, and putting the customer at the front and center of our business has always been our goal. We're so grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for organizing these awards and making it such a special night for local businesses.”
From Meg Svec, co-owner of Spilt Milk in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 Excellent Eats Award: “We are so thankful to our wonderful staff, who works so hard to make Spilt Milk's food and atmosphere worthy of the "Excellent Eats" award! Also -- we are very thankful to our dear customers, who nominated us for this award. It is especially meaningful to receive an award knowing it came from the feedback of those who support our bakery every day!
From Merry Beth Sheets, Executive Director of Hephzibah Children’s Association in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 Local Legend Award: “We are so honored to have been recognized as the Local Legend by the Chamber. We have a long history dating back to 1897 and we love this community. We are so glad that the community loves us back.”
From Reesheda Washington, owner of L!VE Café in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 New & Notable Award: “We are so flattered and honored to have been nominated for five different awards for the OPRF Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight Awards. We won the "New And Notable" award and we are so excited about this! We appreciate the love as this new and notable cafe continues to grow in the OPRF community.
From Jason Rosado, owner of Distinctive Coaching For Business Success, and winner of the 2018 Small Business Superhero Award: "I asked one of my clients who nominated me as the Small Business Superhero why she did. She said it was because of how I have helped her and her business grow, hire and train more people and see so much revenue growth in such a short period of time, while giving her, her partner and her family better quality of work and quality of life. Then she added, 'For being a business saver and a lifesaver. That’s a Superhero.' Hearing her words and being able to serve business owners and leaders like that makes my heart soar!"
For photos, videos and background about this program, visit our Spotlight Awards event homepage: https://www.oprfchamber.org/spotlight-awards.
Oak Park- River Forest Chamber of Commerce Announces 3rd Annual Business Spotlight Awards Winners
October 18, 2018 (OAK PARK, IL) -
The Oak Park – River Forest Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the winners for the 3rd Annual Business Spotlight Awards, held Tuesday, October 9th from 5-7PM at the Nineteenth Century Club. The event, hosted by Chamber President Bob Stelletello, featured award presenters Cathy Adduci, Village President of River Forest, Senator Don Harmon, Anan Abu-Taleb, Mayor of Oak Park, and drew nearly 250 attendees representing top local business and government leaders.
Local residents and loyal customers nominated businesses and organizations in each of six categories. Led by co-chairs Anne Pezalla (Lively Athletics) and Gary Longstein (Allstate), the committee poured over 600+ nominations, representing 200 nominees, ultimately choosing 10 finalists in each category and six winners:
Community Character 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Escape Factor
Customer Experience 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Lively Athletics
Excellent Eats 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Spilt Milk
Local Legend 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Hephzibah Children’s Association
New & Notable 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: L!VE Café
Small Business Superhero 2018 Spotlight Award Winner: Distinctive Coaching for Business Success
“Winners were a closely-guarded secret until the day of the event,” said Chamber President Bob Stelletello, “this was our third year presenting the Spotlight Awards and we’re always amazed at the enthusiasm of our community when it comes to our local businesses.”
The 3rd Annual Business Spotlight Awards recognizes and celebrates businesses and community organizations across six categories of leadership. The program is open to all businesses in the Oak Park, River Forest and surrounding communities. Category winners receive laudatory press and complimentary marketing, as well as a one-year free membership to the Oak Park – River Forest Chamber.
Winner Quotes:
From Jonathan Biag & Dexter Cura, co-owners of Escape Factor in Forest Park, and winners of the 2018 Community Character Award: “We're thrilled to be recognized by our community as the quirky characters we are. Escape Factor's unique, one-of-a-kind experiences have our customers exploding in laughter and high-fiving their teammates during birthday parties and team building events alike. We're silly, but fun. Puzzling, but smart. The positive response from the community continues to inspire us to create more challenges and adventures for years to come,” shared Jonathan Biag & Dexter Cura, co-owners of Escape Factor in Forest Park and winners of the 2018 Community Character Award.
From Anne Pezalla, co-owner of Lively Athletics in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 Customer Experience Award: “Kate and I were overjoyed to win the Spotlight Award for Customer Experience. When we saw the other finalists in the category, we were thrilled to be considered on the same level - these are some of our favorite businesses in Oak Park! Winning the award was amazing. We work so hard and have such a great staff, and putting the customer at the front and center of our business has always been our goal. We're so grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for organizing these awards and making it such a special night for local businesses.”
From Meg Svec, co-owner of Spilt Milk in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 Excellent Eats Award: “We are so thankful to our wonderful staff, who works so hard to make Spilt Milk's food and atmosphere worthy of the "Excellent Eats" award! Also -- we are very thankful to our dear customers, who nominated us for this award. It is especially meaningful to receive an award knowing it came from the feedback of those who support our bakery every day!
From Merry Beth Sheets, Executive Director of Hephzibah Children’s Association in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 Local Legend Award: “We are so honored to have been recognized as the Local Legend by the Chamber. We have a long history dating back to 1897 and we love this community. We are so glad that the community loves us back.”
From Reesheda Washington, owner of L!VE Café in Oak Park, and winner of the 2018 New & Notable Award: “We are so flattered and honored to have been nominated for five different awards for the OPRF Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight Awards. We won the "New And Notable" award and we are so excited about this! We appreciate the love as this new and notable cafe continues to grow in the OPRF community.
From Jason Rosado, owner of Distinctive Coaching For Business Success, and winner of the 2018 Small Business Superhero Award: "I asked one of my clients who nominated me as the Small Business Superhero why she did. She said it was because of how I have helped her and her business grow, hire and train more people and see so much revenue growth in such a short period of time, while giving her, her partner and her family better quality of work and quality of life. Then she added, 'For being a business saver and a lifesaver. That’s a Superhero.' Hearing her words and being able to serve business owners and leaders like that makes my heart soar!"
For photos, videos and background about this program, visit our Spotlight Awards event homepage: https://www.oprfchamber.org/spotlight-awards.