Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Business at Annual Dinner

 Karen Weitkunat Receives Prestigious Collins Award

FORT COLLINS, COLO. – February 24, 2016 – The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its 111th Annual Dinner at The Hilton Fort Collins on Wednesday evening, where over 550 people attended to celebrate local business achievements. Several outstanding business leaders were recognized with Chamber honors, including Karen Weitkunat, recipient of the Chamber’s prestigious Collins Award.

First presented in 1977, the Collins Award recognizes individuals with a long-standing contribution to the community. Karen Weitkunat joins previous recipients such as Larry Kendall, Tom Gleason, Bohemian Companies, Curt and Nancy Richardson, and Mark Driscoll.

Weitkunat was recognized for steadfast leadership at City Hall including service on the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Planning and Zoning Board. She served eight years as a District 2 City Councilmember and then four years as Mayor for the City of Fort Collins. Weitkunat was also a key leader in establishing the North Fort Collins Business Association after she and her husband moved to Fort Collins in 1976.

Additional Chamber awards included:

>>Recognizing young business professionals and upcoming leaders in the community, The Young Professional of the Year Award was awarded to Allison Hines, United Way of Larimer County.

>> The 2015 Volunteer of the Year Award was awarded to Steve Tool of Tool and Associates, who has been a long-time volunteer sharing his time with Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance and serving as their chair in 2015.

The 2016 Annual Dinner would not be possible without the generous contributions of this year’s sponsors.

Gold Sponsors: Woodward, Mortenson, BizWest Media, High Country Beverage, The Coloradoan, Super Shuttle and Old Town Media

Silver Sponsors: Kaiser Permanente, Soukup, Bush & Associates and Brock & Company

Bronze Sponsors: BKD, Colorado Financial Management, Cushman & Wakefield, EKS&H, Flood and Peterson, FMS Bank, Home State Bank of Fort Collins, US Bank, Warren Federal Credit Union, Western States Bank, Comcast, Elevations Credit Union and Northern Colorado Anesthesia Professional Consultants LLP.

About the Fort Collins Area Chamber

The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is the leading membership-based organization in Northern Colorado, dedicated to helping business succeed. Investing in the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce puts members in contact with more than 1,125 business owners and managers in the market. For more than 100 years, the Fort Collins Area Chamber has been influencing efforts to maintain and grow the business community in Fort Collins.

For more information about the Chamber call (970) 482-3746 or visit www.FortCollinsChamber.com.

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