Honoring Business Excellence: Meet the Winners of the 2022 Sarpy Chamber Awards!

Sarpy County’s business and nonprofit leaders gathered on October 27th at the Beardmore Event Center in Bellevue to attend Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Awards Celebration. 

American Family Insurance – Franker & Associates was named New or Emerging Business of the Year. They are passionate about educating the community on the ever-changing industry trends to provide long-lasting value to the people. This starts with continued education and support for their employees to help build longevity and career-driven advancements. 

Moving Veterans Forward won for Nonprofit of the Year. Moving Veterans Forward is dedicated to helping homeless veterans in Nebraska find suitable housing and to become self-sufficient citizens. They collect donated furniture and essential household goods which are delivered to the veterans they serve. 

Double K Feed took the title of Business of the Year 1-24 Employees. Double K Feed works with Papillion South High-Special Needs Children, The Papillion Fire Department and Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department by supplying them with dog food. The store has diversified over 40 years, to where it sold cattle and pig feed, and now sells wild bird seed and domestic pet food. 

JE Dunn was recognized as Business of the Year 25-plus Employees. They opened their Nebraska office in 2008 with a single truck and six employees. More than 10 years later, they now have 350 full-time employees. Over the last five years, JE Dunn has proudly employed nearly 4,000 workers in Sarpy County. 

The award for Elected Official of the Year was given to Sarpy County Attorney, Lee Polikov. During his time in office, Lee has overseen and supported many innovative initiatives such as Teen Court, Alcohol Diversion, Mental Health Diversion, Wellness Court, and the Sarpy County Wastewater Agency. 

Robin Larsen with Cobalt Credit Union was voted Business Leader of the Year. She serves on multiple boards for community-based organizations and is deeply involved and committed to Cobalt’s charitable arm, The SAC Foundation, whose mission is to be a steward of economic and social sustainability in the communities they serve by focusing on financial literacy and supporting the military.

Two Chamber Excellence honorees were recognized for their outstanding support of the chamber: Lisa White, a Sarpy Chamber Board Member and Jeff Gehring with Mercury Contractors.

Ryan Ousey with ROC Business Technologies and Michelle Seiter with Papillion Manor were the first-ever recipients of the Modern Marvels award. This award recognizes members of the Modern Professional group who have gone above and beyond to grow not only the group itself but have also contributed many hours to the growth and mentorship of individual members.

Tiffany Brown with SEi Security Equipment, Pam Peters with Pinnacle Bank, and Rhonda Uhe with Five Salon were recognized as Golden Ambassadors. This is not an easy honor to earn. It requires recipients to go above and beyond in a group that is already dedicated to representing the Sarpy Chamber through attending ribbon cuttings and networking events while fostering relationships.

Save These Dates:

December 08: Holiday Open House

January 10, 2023: Membership Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast and learn more about membership

January 11:  Annual Ambassador Meeting
Perfect event for getting started as an Ambassador!

January 12: Coffee & Contacts at Sarpy YMCA
Get in some networking before work!

January 17: B.U.Y.S. Event – Branding & Digital Marketing
Business/Sales education on marketing in first 1-5 years

January 18: W.O.M.E.N. Event – Call to Action
W.O.M.E.N.’s group 2023 kick off at Hail Varsity

January 19: Website 101 Training
Education event on online member resources

Unwavering Advocate

We are your unwavering advocate. As business owners, neighbors and friends, we are Sarpy. Our whole hearts are into making a better future for all of us. As a connector of solutions and a helping hand to members, Sarpy Chamber provides knowledge and opportunities that empower local business.

If you share our vision, talk to us about joining and opening doors to a wide range of networking events, professional groups, workshops, and other activities, all with the aim of connecting business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Address: 1243 Golden Gate Drive, Suite 1, Papillion, NE 68046
Contact Us: (402) 339-3050 | info@sarpychamber.org
Website: www.sarpychamber.org
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/SarpyChamber