2023 Outstanding Business Person of the Year & 2023 Outstanding Citizen of the Year
Click here for Nomination Ballot – Deadline April 28, 2023
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The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce Proudly Honors
2022 Leonard “Buddy” Burton Outstanding Business Person of the Year
The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce 2022 Leonard “Buddy” Burton Business Person of the Year Award was presented posthumously to RICK WATSON of WatsonGas Inc. Rick served on the Seafood Festival Committee for many years, even before the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce became the organizer in 2011, providing free gas for the event and spending untold hours on the grounds the week before and day of making sure all fryers and cookers were working properly. He is respected for the quality of service WatsonGas has always provided, but Rick is most remembered for his kindness. The nomination ballot states, “The Rick Watson family is the epitome of how all businesses should be. They are an asset to our chamber and an asset to our island.”
2022 John White Shields Outstanding Citizens of the Year
The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce 2022 John White Shields Citizen of the Year Award was presented to BILLIE ANN BOWDEN recognizing her selfless contributions to volunteer organizations in addition to assisting friends and family when needed. She is a member of Chapter #62 Order of the Eastern Star and Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary. Billie Ann donates many hours each week to Christ United Methodist Church Opportunity Shop and Manna Café. Providing rides to doctor appointments, food to sick or bereaved families, and help to fellow citizens are an every day part of her life. It has been said Billie Ann will take on tasks that others can’t or won’t do, not for any gain in return, but because she is a “giving, caring, engaging citizen”, according to her nomination ballot.
PAST AWARDEES FOR LEONARD “BUDDY” BURTON
OUTSTANDING BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR
JAMES BOTT – 1990
BILL JONES – 1991
NANCY CONKLIN – 1992
GARY MASON – 1993
KELLY CONKLIN – 1994
DONALD LEONARD – 1995
MIKE McGEE – 1996
WESLEY McDONALD – 1997
JEAN CLARK – 1998
SCOTT CHESSON – 1999
DIANE WATSON – 2000
BOBBY PARKS – 2001
WANDA J. THORNTON – 2002
CHRIS BOTT – 2003
KEVIN KROME & STEVE POTTS – 2004
GEORGE KATSETOS – 2005
RUSSELL & MARTHA EVERET – 2006
MICHAEL T. TOLBERT – 2007
WAYNE & KAY MADDOX – 2008
TOMMY CLARK – 2009
GERRY & LINDA RYAN – 2010
KENNY & MARY BURTON – 2011
TED L. LEWIS – 2012
SUZANNE TAYLOR – 2013
RICHARD CONKLIN – 2014
TOM DERRICKSON – 2015
TOMMY & DONNA MASON – 2016
ROBERT CONNER – 2017
DENISE & RITCHIE CONKLIN – 2018
JEANNIE ROSE – 2019
SUE JOHNSON – 2020
BRYAN RUSH – 2021
RICK WATSON – 2022
PAST AWARDEES FOR JOHN WHITE SHIELDS
OUTSTANDING CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
OLLIE REED – 1990
JAMES RUSSELL – 1991
ANNE WHEALTON – 1992
SHERMAN DAISEY – 1993
DONALD AMRIEN – 1994
J.W. JEFFRIES – 1995
FRED TOLBERT – 1996
OLLIE REED – 1997
FRANCES TURNER – 1998
MARIANNE WHITE – 1999
VERNON MERRITT – 2000
KATHRYN TOLBERT – 2001
JOHN H. (JACK) TARR – 2002
JOHN GRAHAM – 2003
WILLIAM T. MCCOMB, SR. – 2004
NATHAN B. CLARK – 2005
TERRY HOWARD – 2006
HAROLD L. BRASURE – 2007
BARBARA MASON – 2008
ELLEN RICHARDSON – 2009
EVELYN SHOTWELL – 2010
ANNE DAVIS – 2011
EDWARD W. LEWIS, JR. – 2012
JILLIAN POOLE – 2013
WAYNE TOLBERT – 2014
SHERRY TARR – 2015
NANCY LANE – 2016
DENISE BOWDEN – 2017
BILL SPANN – 2018
GARY MASON – 2019
VALERIE TOLBERT – 2020
BILL & FRAN LYTLE – 2021
BILLIE ANN BOWDEN – 2022
