The Centralia Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 100th Annual Banquet on Thursday, February 8 at the Centralia American Legion.
The theme of this year’s presentations is Centralia’s Past, Present and Future. Featured speaker Tom Hawkins will speak on the present state of Centralia. Assistant Chamber Director Matthew Packman will discuss the past, and City Manager Kory Smith will present on Centralia’s future.
“We are excited to have Tom Hawkins as our featured presenter to highlight how much progress is being made in Centralia! He has a unique perspective as a retired superintendent, community leader, and past president of the Centralia Chamber. It is a presentation that you won’t want to miss,” said Chamber Director Marcus Holland.
Kaskaskia College will be honored with the Legacy Award for its decades of education and community service. The City of Centralia and Fabcoat are this year’s recipients of the Partners in Progress Awards.
Previous president of the Centralia Chamber’s Board of Directors, Emily Haake, will receive the Past Presidents Award. Outgoing board members Haake, Travis Etheridge and Monica French will each receive the Retiring Board Members Award.
“We hope the community will join us for a fun evening celebrating the 100th anniversary of the chamber,” said Holland. “We would like to congratulate our award winners and thank each of our sponsors, all of which make this event possible.”
The public is invited to attend. A social hour will be held at 6:00 p.m., presentations, dinner, and awards at 7:00 p.m., and Balloon Pop before 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person or $320 for a table of eight, and may be purchased by contacting the chamber at office@centraliachamber.com.
