Rowan Chamber announces annual award winners during 97th Gala

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - The Rowan Chamber of Commerce’s 97th Annual Meeting was held on Thursday evening at West End Plaza. Over 350 business and community leaders attended this year’s event. Title sponsorship was provided by Novant Health Rowan Medical Center.

The event theme was “Bourbon, Bling and Bowties!”. The emcee for the evening was Kent Bernhardt of the Performance Racing Network.

Annual award winners announced at the event included:

Mollie Ruf – Young Professional of the Year
Healthcare Management Consultants - Chamber Champion Small Business of the Year
Rosalind Hines – Paul E. Fisher Volunteer of the Year Award
Pete Teague – Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award

The gavel passed from 2022 Chair of the Board Brad Walser (Walser Technology Group) to 2023 Chair of the Board Elaine P. Holden (North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation).

In addition to Title Sponsor Novant Health, program sponsors were: Duke Energy Carolinas, F & M Bank, Global Contact Services, and Trinity Senior Services of Rowan.

Mollie Ruf accepted the new award designed to recognize a leader of the Chamber’s Young Professional program. She recently had a career move from Miller Davis Advertising Agency to the Rowan EDC. Ruf has chaired the Young Professionals program for the past three years.

Tom Loeblein accepted the Chamber Champion Small Business of the Year Award for Healthcare Management Consultants. Loeblein is President/CEO of the 16-person professional management company for dentists and doctors. They have been in business since 1966 and recently built a new headquarters building in downtown Salisbury.

Rosalind Hines with Waggoner Realty was the recipient of the Paul E. Fisher Chamber Volunteer of the Year Award. She serves as Chair of the Chamber’s Workforce Development Alliance and is involved in numerous other committees for the Chamber, including the Ambassadors, Membership, Dragon Boat, Annual Meeting and is a graduate of the Leadership Rowan program.

Pete Teague was presented with the Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award. Teague has served as Chair of the Chamber Board, Chair of the Rowan EDC Board, Habitat for Humanity and is currently Salisbury Rotary Club President. He was one of the key community leaders who helped bring our major economic development organizations under one roof – now the Paul E. Fisher Gateway Building. Teague now works as Special Assistant to the President at Livingstone College.

The Rowan Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit private business advocacy organization with over 800-member firms. Member benefits include business advocacy, leadership development, workforce development/talent attraction, networking programs, member referrals, newcomer packets and much more.

For more information on the Rowan Chamber, call 704.633.4221, send an email info@rowanchamber.com, or visit www.rowanchamber.com.