Chamber Hands Out Annual Awards

TYLER — The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce honors its top citizens and organizations at its annual meeting. The T.B. Butler Award for citizen of the year was given to Stephen Dement, founder of the Brook Hill School and its on-campus American Freedom Museum. Dement said he was honored — and that all of Brook Hill’s work is for the youth of Smith County. He remarked, “Sometimes we wonder if it’s worth it. And then we see children excel. Their challenge, their potential is realized, and they go on to achieve great things.”

The W.C. Windsor Award for top citizen under 40 goes to Roy Martinez, Regions Bank’s community banking sales manager for East Texas. Martinez told the audience, “I’m just really proud and real happy to be here, to have these people all here today that not only helped me but help others that we’ll never know in the future who will benefit from what you’re doing today.” Large Business of the Year is Henry and Peters, P.C.; top small business is Mentoring Minds; and the Volunteer of the Year award was handed to the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum.