Extra(OR)dinary Awards
We are proud to honor extraordinary member businesses, organizations, and individuals throughout the year, with the following recognitions:
- Small Business of the Month, sponsored by Enrichment Federal Credit Union
- (Quarterly) Large and Small Beautification Awards, sponsored by Stephanie Hale-Smith - State Farm, Oak Ridge Pharmacy, and Councilman Jim Dodson
- (New) Community Champion Awards, sponsored by Free Medical Clinic
- Ambassador of the Year, sponsored by the Oak Ridge Chamber
Additionally, we have 9 ExtraORdinary Awards (also sponsored by Free Medical Clinic) that allow membership participation in the nomination and voting process. Nominations for these awards are accepted until late Summer, and then qualified and narrowed down to 3 finalists by our Board of Directors. The final voting round is open to members, and concludes just in time to announce the winners at our annual ExtraOrdinary Awards Gala in January! This special night is our premier event where hundreds of individuals from the business community dress up and come together to celebrate each other’s successes. It also gives us a chance to recognize the people and businesses, big and small, that make Oak Ridge such an extraordinary place!
General Criteria
Award nominees must be:
- Members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce
- A viable, ongoing business which has maintained stability over its business tenure
Award nominees may be either:
- Self-nominated
- Peer-nominated
Award nominees may be asked to provide references and narratives to support the application process, if requested. Finalists will be required to submit a form.
New Rule: Previous award winners are not eligible for new awards, in any category, until 3-years after the last win. Please review the available lists of former winners before making your nomination.
Beautification Award(s)
Small Business (<2 acres)
Large Business (2+ Acres)
Selected by Oak Ridge Chamber Housing Committee
This quarterly award recognizes a business which has significantly improved the appearance of its facility through renovation, landscaping, redecorating, etc.
- 2 or more acres
- Non-residential properties ONLY
- Residential properties ARE NOT eligible
- Business offices/facilities must be visible to the public
- Visually enhances Oak Ridge community and/or surroundings
Sponsored by Stephanie Hale-Smith - State Farm and Oak Ridge Pharmacy
Eugene Joyce Award
Approved by Former Joyce Award Winners
This award acknowledges the person who exemplifies the values that distinguished Mr. Joyce during his lifetime of service to Oak Ridge, which are:
- Community service
- Professional achievement
- Dedication
- Leadership
- Exemplary personal values
Past award recipients include:
- Wanda Craven
- Tom Hill
- Gene Caldwell
- George Mathews
- John McKittrick
- Howard Baker
- Zach Wamp
- Jan and Randy McNally
- Kerry Trammel
- Phil Andrews
- David Bradshaw
- Stacy Myers
- Linda Brown/Len Hart
- Bonnie Carroll
- Bob and Carole Smallridge
- Parker Hardy
- Jim Dodson
- Tim Trappuzzano
- Jim Normand
Extraordinary Volunteerism
Kerry Trammell Award
Selected by Chamber Board Chair
This award is named after the late Kerry Trammell who was an extraordinary volunteer who passed away suddenly in 2013. It recognizes an individual - of any age - who personifies the finest spirit of volunteerism to the Chamber by giving generously of themselves to improve the community's quality of life.
- Nominees may be of any age
- Nominees must be associated with a member of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce
- While nominations are encouraged from the Board, the final award selection is made by the Chairman of the Board for the year being recognized
- Past award winners are listed on the nomination form to prevent ineligible/duplicate nominations
- Past winners are not eligible for consideration
Past winners are ineligible for renomination, and include:
2013 – Buzz Patrick
2014 – Steve Whitson
2015 – Connie Martin
2016 – Morgan Smith
2019 – Colin Anderson
2021 – David Wilson
2022 – Laurel Patrick
2023 – Gene Patterson
Ambassador of the Year Award
Selected by Ambassador Leadership
The “Ambassador of the Year” is an individual who demonstrates a noticeable commitment to the community through involvement with local organizations that elevate the overall quality of life in the Oak Ridge community. While doing this, they ALSO serve as an Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Ambassador to assist with member retention and recruitment efforts. This group of professionals serves the following ways:
- Liaisons between the Chamber and its members for larger programmatic or strategic events
- Welcomes new members and engages with current ones
- Assists with event planning
- Attends events to "meet and greet"
Past winners are ineligible for renomination, and include:
- Misty McHone, IRIS Networks
- Skylar Tarpley, Restoration 1
Extraordinary Business Excellence
Business Excellence – Small Business of the Year
Voted by Oak Ridge Chamber Membership
50 or Fewer Employees
This award recognizes businesses that demonstrate overall stability, a positive public image, while setting an example of community service and enhancing the economic vitality of the community.
- Small Business of the Month Winners – Automatic Entries
- Nominees must be an independently owned business/franchise
- Nominee must have demonstrated one or more of the following characteristics:
- Revenue growth and/or job growth.
- Innovative products or services
- Positive community impact
- Encourages and provides professional development of staff
Past winners are ineligible for renomination, and include:
- Oak Ridge Pharmacy
- Fire Safety Inspections
- The Houndry
- Chuck's Car Care
Business Excellence – Midsize Business of the Year
Voted by Oak Ridge Chamber Membership
51 to 200 Employees
This award recognizes businesses that demonstrate overall stability, a positive public image, while setting an example of community service and enhancing the economic vitality of the community.
- Nominees must be an independently owned business/franchise
- Nominee must have demonstrated one or more of the following characteristics:
- Revenue growth and/or job growth.
- Innovative products or services
- Positive community impact
- Encourages and provides professional development of staff
Past winners are ineligible for renomination, and include:
- Oak Ridge Tool - Engineering
- TNBank
Business Excellence – Large Business of the Year
Voted by Oak Ridge Chamber Membership
200 or More Employees
This award recognizes businesses that demonstrate overall stability, a positive public image, while setting an example of community service and enhancing the economic vitality of the community.
- Nominees must be an independently owned business/franchise
- Nominee must have demonstrated one or more of the following characteristics:
- Revenue growth and/or job growth.
- Innovative products or services
- Positive community impact
- Encourages and provides professional development of staff
Past winners are ineligible for renomination, and include (new as of 2023):
Oak Ridge National Laboratory/UT Battelle
Extraordinary Community Impact
Community Impact Award
Voted by Oak Ridge Chamber Membership
This award recognizes a for-profit business which operates in a sound manner and is also known for making a profound impact on the greater Oak Ridge community. The impact must be above-and-beyond the impacts achieved by others by:
- Showing a commitment to the community outside of normal business practices
- Having a long-term desire to build diverse, inclusive, and balanced communities
- Displaying a clear commitment to social responsibility
- Being a demonstrated community leader
The business should also have demonstrated a noteworthy innovation in the relevant year, such as development and implementation of a new product, service, process, or procedure, such as (but not limited to) a new approach to:
- Marketing
- Safety
- Energy efficiency
- Environmental
- Corporate citizenship
Past winners are ineligible for renomination, and include:
- Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge
- ORNL Federal Credit Union
- The Preserve/Smithbilt Homes
Community Impact Award – Nonprofit of the Year
Voted by Oak Ridge Chamber Membership
This award recognizes a business that classifies as a “not-for-profit” or "non-profit" organization. In the relevant year, the non-profit must have demonstrated resilience, creation, and delivery of impactful programs, with far-reaching impact to the clientele or community it serves.
- Nominee must be an active 501-C3 or other non-profit organization
- Nominee must have been in operation for at least 2 years
- Nominee must show their community impact and supported by performance data
- Nominee must show organizational excellence and responsibility to stakeholders
Past winners are ineligible for renomination, and include:
- Free Medical Clinic
- United Way of Anderson County
- Emory Valley Center
Extraordinary Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneur of the Year
Selected by Oak Ridge Chamber Membership
This award recognizes a person who is demonstrating innovativeness, originality, and a risk-taking spirit in the development of processes, products, or technologies. This person should demonstrate a vision for the future with these criteria.
- Nominees should be either the founder or current executive responsible for the day-to-day operations of a “For Profit” business
- Nominees should be in their leadership role for a minimum of 2 years
- Nominees should be chosen from a business that has also been in business for a minimum of 2 years
- Nominees should have already achieved tangible, and material entrepreneurial success evidenced by:
- Revenue Earned
- Jobs Created
- Operational Improvements
Past winners are currently ineligible for renomination, and include:
- Mike Brown, M&M Productions
- Amanda Lovegrove/Leah Hunter, The Houndry
- Michael Wilhoit, Mac's Pharmacy
- Saad Aqqad, Oak Ridge Pharmacy
Extraordinary Promise
NEW! Our Promising Youth Award
Selected by Chamber Board of Directors
This award recognizes a group of promising youth who exemplify excellence in - one or more - of these dimensions:
- Outstanding community service
- Outstanding contribution of service on a school campus
- Outstanding youth project
- Outstanding youth leadership
- Outstanding youth success
Past winners are ineligible for re-nomination, and include (new as of 2023):
- Youth Leadership Oak Ridge
