Chamber honors business leaders at annual awards dinner
SLIPPERY ROCK — Some of the main reasons why awards and recognition are important in a small community is they create engagement and inspire people to do more.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, the Butler County Chamber of Commerce did just that as hundreds of its members and business leaders got the chance to acknowledge the work of others at Slippery Rock University's Robert M. Smith Student Center for the Chamber’s annual Celebrate Business Dinner.
The event served as a chance to present three awards to individuals and organizations for their efforts in serving Butler County over the past year: the Stan Kosciuszko Leadership Excellence Award, the David L. Lloyd Chamber Champion Award and the William A. Morgan Jr. Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
It also served as a graduation ceremony for the Chamber’s 2024 Leadership Butler County class.
“As president of the Butler County Chamber, one of my most important roles is to be a big cheerleader for this place,” said Jordan Grady, Butler County Chamber of Commerce president. “The people who are here truly are one of a kind.”
“Our work is far from over,” Grady added. “Every step we take, every initiative we launch and every relationship we build is a step towards a brighter, more prosperous future for us all.”
Butler Eagle general manager Tammy Schuey was presented the Stan Kosciuszko Leadership Excellence Award for her more than 30 years of dedication to local journalism and her commitment to many organizations in the county, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Butler YMCA, the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center and much more.
“When you are dedicated, you dedicate yourself to living each day to the fullest,” Schuey said. “I help where I can, and I don’t do it for recognition. This award is very special to me.
“I do more learning, I feel, than leading, so to be recognized for leadership is pretty incredible for me.”
Schuey also was named the Butler Eagle’s new publisher during the event, which she said came as a total shock. She said she looks forward to leading the organization even further with her new role.
Doug Sprankle, owner of Sprankle's Neighborhood Markets, was named the William A. Morgan Jr. Entrepreneur of the Year honoree for his community focused leadership and events such as Sprankle’s Octoberfest, which in 2023 welcomed more than 36,000 guests and generated over $100,000 that benefited 20 nonprofit organizations.
Sprankle opened the Saxonburg location in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are really proud to be part of Butler County,” Sprankle said. “It’s a beautiful place; we love it. We are proud to host our events, and I would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for this award.”
Cleveland-Cliffs, Butler Works, was presented the David L. Lloyd Chamber Champion Award for its continued support of keeping jobs in Butler County, despite a proposal by the U.S. Department of Energy that threatened the future of domestic grain-oriented electrical steel production at its Butler Township facility earlier this year.
“We are going to be in this community for a long time to come,” said Aaron Steinheiser, general manager of the Butler Works facility and Zanesville, Ohio, facility. “We are blessed and Cliffs believes in family and community. There are business owners big and small and none have the ability to give to everyone, but all of us have the ability to give to someone.”
There were 35 people in this year's Leadership Butler County graduating class.
The people in the leadership class came from a variety of trades and backgrounds from across the county.
Leadership Butler County took on the project of revitalizing the Prospect Boys and Girls Club baseball fields, which included the construction of a new field, dugouts and concession stand.
During its fundraising events for the project, the leadership class was able to exceed its goal of $25,000 for the project and was able to raise over $36,000.
“The number one reason we chose this project was because it benefited children,” leadership 2024 graduate Chris Singer said. “It gave them a nice facility to stay away from the bad influences of life and keep them engaged in sports and grow the leaders of our great county.”
