‘BULL DOGS OF PERSISTANCE’

St. Mary Chamber Director Donna Meyer said it best, “In today’s business world, you have to be a bull dog of persistence, and that’s what this night was n we honored the bull dogs of persistence.”

The Chamber saluted a small business owner, a corporation, a district attorney, a theatre group, a group that provides opportunities to people with disabilities, and a waitress during its 6th annual award ceremony. The group also installed its 2007 Board of Directors at the Pavilion inside Cypress Bayou Casino Thursday.

This was the sixth annual event since St. Mary Parish’s Chambers of Commerce voted to unite in 2000.

Damon Robinson, of L & H Printing in Morgan City, was named Citizen of the Year; and the Cabot Corporation Canal Facility in Franklin was tapped as Business of the Year.

St. Mary Parish District Attorney Phil Haney was given the Virginia Tyler Guillotte Award, which is earmarked for service, and Delores McCracken, of Café Jo Jo’s Restaurant in Morgan City, was recognized for hospitality service.

And the Chamber applauded the Teche Theatre of the Performing Arts in Franklin, and the STEP/BIMS organization in Berwick as the non-profit community service group award winners.

Also at the awards ceremony was guest speaker state Sen. Walter J Boasso, (R-Chalmette) who encourage the 500-plus on hand for the evening to spend time letting their legislators know their issues and problems, particularly at the end of this year when there will be a huge turn-over in the state legislature because of term limits.

2006 Chamber of Commerce President Allan Von Werder turned over the gavel to incoming President Danny Donham.

Donham is general manager of the Days Inn of Morgan City.

For his year’s of service to the organization, Von Werder was given a plaque. “We need to continue to celebrate the fortunes that we have here in this parish,” he said.

In his address, Donham encouraged more participation from the area’s business owners. “We want to be good stewards of your time, and your money,” he said.

Haney, the parish’s district attorney, said he was honored for the recognition. “What I do, I do for the children of this parish…and I encourage everyone to do so. We’ve got to keep them from falling through the cracks,” he said.

Chamber Director Donna Meyer, who’s been on the job for only two years, said small businesses are the key to any community. “I’ve been around small businesses all my life…their owners and employees are the hardest workers of all, so that’s why I enjoy being around them” she said. “In today’s business world, you have to be a bull dog of persistence. And that’s what we did tonight, we honored bull dogs of persistence.”

Under Meyer’s administration, the St Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce has grown to 620 members. The new members mostly consist of small business.

The St. Mary Chamber’s 2007 officers are: Ken Perry, of Perry Flying Center in Patterson; Frances Dupre, of Morgan City Bank and Trust; Bruce Pickering, of

Phoenix International of Berwick; Greg Garret, of Louisiana Technical College,

Young Memorial Campus in Morgan City; Calvin Green, of Franklin Foundation

Hospital; Bob Wheeler, of Bob Wheeler and Associates; Cindy Pusateri, of the

Cabot Corporation; Shayde LeBlanc, of First National Bank of Jeanerette;

Cindy Cutrera, of the St. Mary Parish Industrial Group; and Dr. Albert Zuniqua, a retired physician.

Staff photo by HOWARD CASTAY JR. • Tri-Parish Times * St. Mary Chamber of Commerce board member Cindy Cutrera, right, presents the Business of the Year Award to Cabot Corporation’s Canal Plant Manager Mark Suellentrop. Other top honors at Thursday’s awards banquet went to Damon Robinson, District Attorney Phil Haney and Delores McCracken. The Teche Theatre of Performing Arts and the STEP/BIMS group were also recognized.