A record attendance of 104 were on hand Thursday (July 17, 2014) to see the four honorees receive the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce’s annual business awards, led by Rusnak Auto Group President/CEO Victoria Rusnak accepting the Business of the Year Award for Rusnak/Arcadia Mercedes-Benz. Rusnak, who was accompanied by Marketing Director Quincy Armstrong, said she was proud to win the award and excited to be breaking ground this week on a new $35 million showroom on Santa Anita Avenue.
Other winners recognized at the program sponsored by Printing Control were Business Person of the Year Chris Andersson of Foothill Credit Union; New Member of the Year Allen Tsay of Waddell & Reed; and Chamber Service Award recipient Bruce McCallum.
As attendees arrived (and as they departed at the end) they were serenaded by a string quartet of the Pasadena Symphony and Pops‘ Random Acts of Music, with conductor Larry Blank making a brief presentation during the program about the Pops’ summer concert series at the Arboretum, and Symphony CEO Paul Jan Zdunek also in attendance at the monthly Networking Breakfasts in the Sunset Room of the Santa Anita Golf Course which are sponsored year-round by Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary.
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Among the other officials at the program were Mayor Pro Tem Gary Kovacic, who presented the city’s “good plaques” to each of the honorees, along with representatives of Congresswoman Judy Chu, Assembly Member Ed Chau, and County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Certificates from State Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez, whose representative could not attend, were presented by last year’s recipient of each award, including 2013 Business of the Year’s Bruce Lazenby of Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary; 2013 Business Person of the Year Wayne Williams of Professional Advisory Services; 2013 New Member Cruise Planners’ Ivan Lai; and 2013 Chamber Service Award recipient Jerry Dominguez of Printing Control.
Other City officials included Assistant City Manager Jason Kruckeberg and Economic Development Manager Jerry Schwartz.
Arcadia Chamber CEO Scott Hettrick noted that the event was taking place on the 80th anniversary of the Chamber’s incorporation in 1934, 13 years after it was first formed in 1921.
Arcadia Chamber President Denise Weaver of Weaver and Associates Insurance was in attendance, as was President-Elect Andrew Gregson of The Executive Factor, Past President Arlynn Robinson of Century 21 Earll, and Vice President Vicki Knight of Century Rooter Service and Plumbing.
Arcadia Chamber Ambassadors were also in strong force, led by chairman Rich Jones of the San Marino Tribune, immediate past chairman Sylvia Ramos of Dilbeck Realty, and many others. Numerous attendees were happy winners of free raffle prizes:
- Custom Comfort Mattress pillow from Sepand Ardeshir won by Manu Singh of Subway Arcadia
- Dilbeck Real Estate / Real Living’s Sylvia Ramos donated a notepad and Starbuck’s Gift Card won by Frank Garcia, Comerica Bank, Senior Vice President, Regional Manager for Greater LA
- Nerium International Brand Partner Arolyn Burns offered a bottle of Nerium anti-aging night cream won by Fletch Adams of Massage Envy
- Jan’s Towing’s Annette Ousterhout presented a basket of goodies to winner Tony Chi-Su Gutierrez of Harris Office Products
- Harris Office Products’ Tony Chi-Su Gutierrez donated a wall-mount hand sanitizer that was initially won by Becky Chang from Congresswoman Judy Chu’s office before she declined and it was won by Joanne Bockian of Stars Athletic Foundation, who donated it to The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce since Stars has no office building at present.
- Douglass & Zook’s Richard Zook presented a health basket to winner Mitchell Salem of EH Financial Group, Inc.
- Century Rooter Service & Plumbing’s Vicki Knight offered an Outback Steak House gift certificate to Yvonne Liao of First General Bank
- Massage Envy’s Kaitlyn Adams donated massage gift certificates to Dalleth of Custom Comfort Mattress
- Gold’s Gym pass won by Jeffrey Scott of Arroyo Insurance Services, Inc.
Sponsor presentations were also made by Lazenby of Rose Hills and Dominguez of Printing Control, which created the elegant printed programs that were filled with congratulations ads from Waddell & Reed, the Arcadia Historical Society, Millenium Pension Services, MountainViews News, the Arcadia Improvement Association representing Downtown Arcadia, Printing Control, and the children of McCallum. Details and biographies of the winners can be found here in the announcement of the winners last month.
