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| Pictured left to right: George Mitchell, GVCC Chairman of the Board; Ethan Fry & Eugene Driscoll, Valley Indy; Diane Stroman, Joe Welsh, Ray Oppel, Tom Haynes, Ramon Peralta, Emcee/Peralta Design/2016 Gold Seal Recipient) |
SHELTON- The Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce recently recognized four individuals and one organization for their outstanding achievements in the community at its 46th Annual Gold Seal Awards Banquet.
The Chamber presented five awards consisting of three Gold Seal Awards, one Platinum Award and one Silver Medal Award to the region’s business and community leaders who exemplify the spirit of selflessness and volunteerism. These awards are among the most prestigious and time-honored community service awards in the Valley.
Ramon E. Peralta, Jr. (Peralta Design, Shelton), 2016 Gold Seal recipient, served as Master of Ceremonies.
The Gold Seal Award is given annually by the Chamber to a recipient who demonstrates outstanding community service through dedicated and effective leadership. The Gold Seal Award this year went to Tom Haynes (Haynes Group, Southbury), Raymond A. Oppel (CPA, Shelton) and Joseph Welsh (Aquarion Water, Shelton).
Haynes has been an active participant and committee member for the Parent Child Resource Center charity ride in addition to donating his expertise and resources to Make A Wish and other area projects. Oppel, a Life Scout, is still active as a Boy Scout leader and serves on the board of the Valley Community Foundation. Welsh is best known for his conservation efforts throughout the region and also volunteers many hours with the Shelton schools.
In 2001, in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the Gold Seal Awards, the Chamber introduced the Platinum Award. It is presented to a past Gold Seal recipient of at least 10 years who is still dedicated to volunteering their time and resources on behalf of the Valley Community. This year’s Platinum Award honoree is Ansonia resident and Executive Vice President at TEAM, Inc. , Diane Stroman and a 1999 Gold Seal Award recipient.
Stroman serves on several community boards including the Valley Community Foundation, the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club, and the Valley Juvenile Review Board. Stroman is the Chairperson of the Ansonia’s Elderly Services Commission, Co-chair of the Julian A. Taylor Scholarship Committee and former Chair of the Valley Council of Health and Human Services, Valley Council of Senior Services and Valley Council of Youth Services. She is a recipient of the Valley United Way Flynn Humanitarian Award, Valley Women Makes a Difference Award, James E. Wilkins Masonic Community Award, the NAACP Regional Youth Advisor Award and Rotary International Paul Harris Recognition.
The Chamber has presented the Silver Medal Award to recognize groups or partnerships that have made extraordinary contributions to the community or to recognize an individual’s dedicated service and assistance to the community. This year’s Silver Medal Award recipient is the Valley Independent Sentinel. Launched in the spring of 2009, The Valley Indy is a non-profit online newspaper covering the communities of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton.
The combined efforts of all the recipients, both past and present, have resulted in lasting contributions in the Greater Valley communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton.
(This is a press release from Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce)
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