Fort Collins Chamber Celebrates Building Community at 117th Annual Event

Carl Maxey and family awarded prestigious Collins Award

The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its 117th Annual Celebration Wednesday evening at the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. More than 550 Chamber members and others from the area came together to celebrate the success of the Fort Collins Chamber and the business community.

“Business is the cornerstone of the community,” said Ann Hutchison, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce President & CEO. “Business, across the two-county area, creates $35B in economic activity. That wealth is then distributed through Main Street businesses, parks, streets and services by non-profits and government to the benefit of our community. Building community is all this and more.”

Throughout the evening, several business leaders were recognized with Chamber honors, including:

2021 Collins Award Winner:  Carl Maxey, Partner, Vice President and Regional General Manager for MGS, Inc
The Collins Award, established in 1977, recognizes individuals with a long-standing contribution to the community. Among others, past recipients of the Collins Award include: David Wood, Larry Kendall, Tom Gleason, Bohemian Companies, Curt and Nancy Richardson, Mark Driscoll, Gordan Thibedeau, Lucia Liley and last year’s winner, former Fort Collins Chamber President & CEO, David May.

Carl Maxey provided significant leadership in the northern Colorado community, served on the  Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance, including serving two terms as Chair; participated and testified as a member of the Fix North I-25 Business Alliance, and provided significant support and resources to Northern Colorado Prospers and the Chamber.

Carl was a successful Fort Collins businessman in the trailer, manufacturing, sales, trucking, and farming industries. Early in his career, Carl rose to the helm and became a partner in Maxey Companies with his parents Loren and Kathy. In 2014 Carl joined his company and the Colorado locations with MGS, Inc. from Denver, PA. Carl was a Partner, Vice President and Regional General Manager for MGS, Inc. until his passing in fall of 2021. Carl and his wife Marla also operate Maxey Land and Livestock.

“Carl will be missed by so many in our community and remembered for his service and character.  He brought so much to NCLA and our region with his stalwart commitment to what he knew to be right,” said Hutchison.

2021 Valerie Arnold Volunteer of the Year: Eric Lea, Branch Director, Robert Half

In 2020, the Chamber Board renamed the annual “Volunteer of the Year Award” as the “Valerie Arnold Volunteer of the Year Award, in honor of Valerie Arnold who was an active member, volunteer and inspiration for others to become engaged in the community. Valerie Arnold was the recipient of the award in 2018 and epitomized the word volunteer. She passed away in February 2020.

Eric Lea has been an active volunteer with the Chamber since joining Robert Half in 2011. He began his tenure as a member of the Local Legislative Affairs Committee (LLAC), working up to serve as Chair of that Committee.  He continues to serve on LLAC, on the Talent 2.0 Steering Committee and previously on the Talent 2.0 Childcare Taskforce. Lea has shared his knowledge of workforce at the Chamber’s Talent Summit, is always willing to volunteer when asked and has made a huge impact on the Chamber’s efforts in the workforce development space.

2021 David May Advocacy Award: Nick Haws, President, Northern Engineering

The David May Advocacy Award was created in 2020 in honor of former Chamber President & CEO David May’s successful service to the Fort Collins region, its business community, and for being a resolute advocate for free enterprise, and tirelessly advocating for better communities through sound economic principles and a sustainable business climate.

Nick Haws has been an active volunteer with the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce for 11 years.  He began his tenure as a member of the Local Legislative Affairs Committee, working his way up to serve as Chair of that Committee.  He has served on the Election Committee, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.  As Chamber board Chair in 2020, Nick led the organization during a once in a lifetime pandemic and the transition of executive leadership due to long-standing CEO retirement. He has dedicated his time, knowledge, talents and energy to the Chamber as an ongoing advocate for business.

2021 Board Chair: Nicole Staudinger, President, Northern Colorado FirstBank

Retiring Chamber Board Members:

Eugene Bocis, former General Manger at Anheuser-Busch;

Dean Hoag, owner of Rocky Mountain Battery;

Kyle Pettine, Chief Operations Officer at Otter Products;

Steve Stiesmeyer, Director of Corporate Real Estate at Woodward and

Yvonne Myers, former Health Systems Director at Columbine Health Systems

2021 Local Legislative Affairs Committee (LLAC) Chair: Patrick McMeekin, Hartford Homes

 

The Annual Celebration would not have been possible without the generous support of the 2022 sponsors.

 

Gold Sponsors: 

 

About the Fort Collins Area Chamber

The Fort Collins Area Chamber is a local association of businesses and organizations that care about the region’s future. We believe successful businesses make a strong local economy, which enables our community to afford an excellent quality of life. We build our region’s future through business. We serve as a Catalyst for business growth, a Convener of leaders and influences and a Champion for a thriving, balanced, diversified, and resilient economy. We are the only 5-star accredited chamber of commerce in Colorado, which places us in the Top 1% of all U.S. chambers. For more information, visit FortCollinsChamber.com.

 

Award Winner Photos
Photos courtesy of Craig Vollmer Photography

The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce awarded long-time businessman Carl Maxey the 2021 Collins Award recipient. Carl passed away in 2021 and his family accepted his award at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce 2022 Annual Celebration.

 

Eric Lea, Branch Director at Robert Half was awarded the 2021 Valerie Arnold Volunteer of the Year Award at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce 2022 Annual Celebration. From left: Brett Kemp, Chamber Board Chair; Ann Hutchison, Chamber President & CEO; and Eric Lea.

Nick Haws, President of Northern Engineering was awarded the 2021 David May Advocacy Award at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce 2022 Annual Celebration. From left: Nick Haws; Ann Hutchison, Chamber President & CEO; Sharie Grant, Northern Division President of OfficeScapes; and Brett Kemp, Chamber Board Chair.

 

2021 Board Chair: Nicole Staudinger, President of Northern Colorado FirstBank was recognized as the 2021 Chamber Board Chamber. From left: Brett Kemp, 2022 Chamber Board Chair; Nicole Staudinger; and Ann Hutchison, Chamber President & CEO.

Retiring Chamber Board Members were recognized at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce 2022 Annual Celebration. From left: Steve Stiesmeyer, Director of Corporate Real Estate at Woodward; Yvonne Myers, former Health Systems Director at Columbine Health Systems; Brett Kemp, 2022 Chamber Board Chair and Ann Hutchison, Chamber President & CEO.

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