MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce honored two of its members at its 82nd annual meeting and banquet Oct. 17.

Terri Riley Brown of Assured Home and Hospice was named the Ambassador of the Year, and Kevin Burgess of Windermere Real Estate received the Chairman’s Award.

The event’s theme this year was “It’s a Fiesta,” and most of the 30 tables were decorated in accordance with that theme, said Lori Robins, marketing director for the Chamber. There’s a People’s Choice award for the best-decorated table, and REC Silicon won this year, Robins said. Summer Wood Alzheimer's Special Care Center was the runner-up.

The Ambassador of the Year Award is selected by the ambassador team, Robins said. The chamber ambassadors are a group of chamber members who represent the Chamber at ribbon cuttings, grand openings and other events, she explained. Ambassador General Alan Heroux presented the award.

“Terri is recognized from her fellow Chamber ambassadors for going the extra mile to help the Moses Lake Chamber with ribbon cuttings, Business after Hours, and all Chamber events,” Robins wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “Terri is also very active in our senior community with helping provide information to our aging community and senior events. She is also another great person who gives to our community over and over again!”

The Chair Award recipient is chosen by the outgoing board chair, Robins said, a position held this year by Grant County Fairgrounds Manager Jim McKiernan. McKiernan was unable to attend the meeting, so Heroux announced the winner at the banquet and McKiernan presented the award to Burgess in person Monday.

“Kevin Burgess: the name rings synonymous with someone willing to help,” McKiernan wrote. “That’s a hard trait to find these days as there seems to be fewer and fewer people willing to jump in and volunteer their time. But Kevin is unique in his ability to jump in and he never makes you feel like it’s a burden to help. I have been lucky to have Kevin on the Fair Advisory Committee. I did not know him prior to my current stint as director of the fairgrounds, but I am grateful to call him a friend.

“The Fairgrounds is not alone in the help that Kevin is willing to give. Friends, organizations, his clients, all benefit from this multi-talented guy (he can rebuild an engine) who can also dig up a fryer, if necessary, for a booth at the fairgrounds. Kevin was instrumental in helping another business in town expand their small restaurant to offer outside seating. Thanks to Kevin, many organizations in the county have someone they can count on.”

The Chamber is required to hold a meeting every year, Robins said, and it’s at that time that the chamber’s board of directors installs new officers and members, as well as honoring outgoing board members. Those members were Don Kersey, formerly with the Port of Moses Lake and now with Group14; Cameron Whittle; Gregg Fletcher, of Confluence Health; Bob Richardson, of the Columbia Basin Herald and Carlos Barragan, of La Imperial Furniture.

The incoming board chair is Jason Avila, of Renew.

“That’s why we had the fiesta-themed annual meeting,” Robins said. Jason Avila is our new board chair, and he's our first Hispanic chair,” Robins said. “We have Hispanic people on the board, but he's the first to be the chair. It’s exciting. So he and Deb (Doran Martinez, chamber executive director) picked the fiesta theme as a celebration of that.”

Moses Lake Chamber 2023-24 Board of Directors

Jason Avila — Renew Chair

Jim McKiernan — Grant County Fairgrounds — Past Chair

Kim Pope — Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin — Chair-Elect

Roger Silva — Hayden Homes — Secretary/Treasurer

Jeanette Ferguson — Danco Excavation

Scott Freidig — General Dynamics

Rosenda Henley — DSHS

Monty Sabin — Moses Lake School District

Alan Heroux — Realty Executives Real Estate

Shane Heston — Robert M. Trask Agency

Mellisa Klitzke — Washington Trust Bank

Rafelita Tijerina — OIC

AJ Escamilla — Platt Electrical

Brant Mayo — Grant County EDC

Steven Brooks — Samaritan

Moses Lake Chamber ambassadors

Alan Heroux — Realty Executives Real Estate — Ambassador general

Chris Arnberg — American Family Insurance

Chris Nelson — Washington Trust Bank

Liza Springer — VYVE Broadband

Kandi Bersanti — Windermere K-2 Real Estate

Connie Luna — Samaritan Healthcare

James Shank — Edward Jones Financial Advisor

Margie Milbrandt — Samaritan Healthcare

Wendi Stark-Ebel — Smith Martin

Shawn Koethke — Country Insurance and Financial Services

Kathy Mitchell — Washington Trust Bank

Terri Riley Brown — Assured Home Health & Hospice

Kimberly Tibbs — Central Bonded Collectors

Kelly Price — Guild Mortgage Company

Karisti Cox — Summer Wood Alzheimer’s Special Care Center

Steve Crapson — Allstate Insurance

Kevin Farias — Caged Cleaning

Jeremy Boetger — Michelle Boetger Graphic Designs

Michaelle Boetger — Care Moses Lake

Anne Fisher — Guild Mortgage

Roni Smith — A & R Mechanical

Tara Zerbo — Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

Victoria Drake — Springwater Insurance Group

Mellisa Klitzke — Washington Trust

Herman Schreven — LocalTel Communications