Nevada City Chamber of Commerce Announces the 2024 Awards Night & Dinner – A “Long Table” Event

NEVADA CITY, California (Friday, April 26, 2024) – The Nevada City Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 122nd Annual Installation and Awards for outstanding community service. These annual awards honor both businesses, organizations, and individuals who have made significant contributions to the Nevada City community through their time, actions, talents and dedication. Those selected serve as a role model for compassion and service, and are constantly striving to make the world a better place. This marks the second year it will be on Commercial Street outdoor with a long table running down Commercial Street, catered by 4 cornerstone eateries in the Downtown.

“Each year the award winners are nominated and selected by the Chamber’s Board of Directors,” said Gretchen Bond, Chamber Board President. “With so many generous, supportive, innovative and hard-working people, businesses, and organizations in our community, it’s always hard to narrow it down. This year’s recipients represent how unique the business community is and how each of us can have such a profound impact on the life of others.”

Chief of Police Dan Foss is the recipient of the prestigious Elza Kilroy award. Chief Foss has been involved in law enforcement for two decades. During that time, he has held numerous law enforcement positions. Chief Foss is also the founder of O.L.I.V.E. organization, a non-profit that assists women who are victims of human trafficking. O.L.I.V.E. was elected and received the non- profit of the year by State Senator Anna Caballero in 2020.

Chief Foss became Chief in June of 2022. He has a strong focus on community-oriented policing and having his officers and the department integrate as community members, and believes that a professional and productive relationship with all community members will develop through open dialog and honest communication. Chief Foss is honored to serve this community that he immediately fell in love with and is proud to call Nevada City his home.

Stoneman Dan Reinhart will receive the Dave Irons Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to the quality of life in Nevada City. Dan spent his early years in Topanga Canyon, in Southern California, where he taught himself the trade of stone masonry. He moved here 45 years ago, doing most of Nevada City’s stone projects since his arrival. These projects include Pioneer Park’s Bandshell, Seaman’s Lodge, Callahan Park, Pine Street Bridge, Nevada City Winery, and most recently the BrewHaus beer garden, as well as numerous jobs throughout the County.

Enjoying his work, he plans to keep it up, remaining relevant in the community and having creative ventures, is important to him.

Other 2024 recipients are:

The Off Broadstreet Theatre being honored with the Dr. Leland and Sally Performing Arts Award.

Musical duo Two Runner is the recipient of the Live Music Award. Two Runner is songwriter Paige Anderson and fiddler Emilie Rose are from the hills of Northern California, Nevada City, CA. They both grew up in the small historic gold mining town playing different styles of folk music, and came together in 2020 as friends and neighbors before forming Two Runner shortly after.

Paige and Emilie have since been touring nationally as an opening act to Sierra Ferrell, Watchhouse, Jesse Daniel, Charlie Parr and many more. Paige and Emilie released their debut album, Modern Cowboy in the spring of 2023 and it’s becoming an Americana staple for those in the know. In their free time they enjoy a good motorcycle ride, hanging with their dogs and families, and making more music.

The Parsonage 1865 is being recognized with the annual Stan Halls Architectural Award. Built in 1865, this historic building originally served as the Parsonage to the Methodist Church on the corner of Broad and Mill. Immaculately re-designed by local owner/designer Brianne Ingram, 427 Broad Street is a perfect blend of historic Victorian architecture and design with modern elements that seamlessly fits into the downtown landscape. Bri and her family spent 11 months reimagining and restoring nearly every inch of the space, inside and out, with the help of local artisans and craftsmen, to showcase its historic charm. From the original Doug Fur subfloors, to the vintage chandeliers, and French fireplace mantle that was beautifully added to embellish the home’s parlor, it is clear that authentic materials and antiques were a integral part of the design. Now open, the Parsonage 1865 is a classic yet comfortable space for guests to relax both inside and out.

Cru Dorsey wins the Dr. Leland and Sally Lewis Visual Arts Award. Cru Dorsey’s versatility knows no bounds, from the intricate precision of typography to the timeless allure of sign painting, and the limitless horizons of graphic and 3D design, his creative footprint is vast.

Throughout his career he has collaborated with global brands while staying rooted in his local community, contributing to projects like NEO, KVMR, Holbrooke and National Exchange Hotels, Briarpatch and dozens of local small businesses. Looking ahead, he is committed to advancing digital design, fostering public art initiatives, and continually enriching the cultural fabric of their surroundings.”

Business Person of the Year is Robert X. Trent Robert Trent is passionate about helping entrepreneurs create meaningful businesses that support our community to become more resilient and sustainable. As the founder and Executive Director of Sierra Commons, he has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs gain the confidence and skills needed to plan, launch, and grow their enterprises. Robert also collaborates with the Small Business Development Center to guide clients throughout the Sierra who want to pursue their passion while building abundance for themselves and their families. Shortly after moving to Nevada County in 1999, Robert started Velocity7, a marketing and communications company that assisted corporations, government organizations, and local Nevada County “mom-and-pop” businesses with strategy, marketing, and public relations. He and his team created campaigns for clients such as Airstream, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, The Sierra Fund, and Amy’s Kitchen.

Business of the Year award goes to Fur Traders. On May 1, 2022, the last remaining location of the old Fur Traders was acquired by a locally born and raised business woman, Wendy Ermshar. Wendy had returned home to Nevada County after over 20 years of leading national retail teams, now with her heart set on pouring her passion and experience into the dear place that had nurtured her youth. She saw the opportunity to demonstrate her love for Nevada City in reinvigorating a legacy business through elevated hospitality, ambiance, employee culture, product assortment, and community participation. Wendy is supported by an incredible team including Ryan Schwartz, Gemma McColloch, and Sonam Thakuri…as well as Ayurvedic Student, Inaya Shore, and two super-sharp teenagers, Charles and Tavish.

BrewBilt BrewHaus will receive the New Business of the Year. BrewBilt BrewHaus is the taproom and restaurant opened by the local lagerheads at BrewBilt Brewing. BrewHaus shares the brewery’s devotion to European craft quality, local ingredients, and stellar customer service. BrewHaus was founded by Bennett Buchanan, who was a professional brewer and brewpub operator in San Francisco for five years before moving to Nevada City, and Jef Lewis, who has been fabricating brewing equipment locally since 2014. The two share a deep love of craft beer and wanted to create a unique downtown haven for locals and tourists alike to enjoy screen-free social time over some crisp beers and shareable comfort food.

The Community Service Award goes to Rotary Club of Nevada City for their unyielding dedication to community service, and to improving the lives of others in Nevada City. Chartered at The National Hotel in 1935, Nevada City Rotary has been serving Nevada City and our community for almost 90 years. We are people of action in service — often in partnership with local agencies, schools, and other nonprofits. They support our local youth through sponsoring: Girls Who Code – an after-school STEM program for girls at 7 Hills Middle School, Interact – a Rotary Service Club at SAEL High School, projects with Bright Futures for Youth, academic as well as technical scholarships for graduating seniors, and Rotary leadership development camps for teenage youth.

Nevada City Rotary is a local leader in Environmental Sustainability partnering with SaveMart and a host of local merchants and government offices to collect and recycle stretchable plastics through the Trex Company. The Club built Miners Trail along Deer Creek in 1998 and has been planting fresh tulip, crocus, and hyacinth bulbs in Penzance Park on Sacramento Street each year for decades.

“The Chamber of Commerce is poised to enter our 122nd year stronger than ever. Our membership is up, we are anticipating the opening of several new businesses this year, and continued beautification projects including further improvements to Commercial Street, we are excited to continue to serve our business community, residents and visitors in 2024,” shared Chamber Executive Director Stuart Baker.

The Chamber’s 122nd annual Installation and Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, May 18th, 2024 on Commercial Street, Nevada City. Tickets available at: www.nevadacitychamber.com.