Last Thursday the Chamber held its annual awards banquet at Gillespie County Fairgrounds. The event sold out, and I thank each and every one of the 430 attendees for their support. 

The banquet added a new element to the program: a fund raiser for select programs or needs in our community. This year the Chamber selected as its beneficiary the Fredericksburg High School Incubator program which is in its first year with 23 student entrepreneurs. The program relies on community donations for various needs including equipment, scholarships, and potential start-up capital for new products or businesses. The generous attendees of the banquet raised over $115,000 that will provide funds for over 3 years of the Incubator program.

The annual banquet provides an opportunity for the business community to socialize and break bread together. However, the greater purpose of the event is to honor local citizens for their contributions to our community and service to the Chamber.

Jon Crenwelge of Crenwelge Motors was recognized for serving as a Chamber Ambassador for 35 years. Jon has been to countless ribbon cuttings and membership drives over the years. Jon also makes sure we have enough vehicles for the Christmas parade to pull our float with Santa and Mrs. Claus, plus the jeeps for the Grand Marshals of the parade.

The past chair of the Chamber board of directors, Jay Mallinckrodt, served 7 years on the board. He was on the board that kept Penny McBride and the team going during the pandemic. Jay has been a champion for our organization and lives his philosophy “the more you support the Chamber the more the Chamber can support the community.”

This year, we also hosted and recognized the President/CEO of the Greater Kerrville Chamber of Commerce Mindy Wendele for her tireless work after the July 4th Guadalupe River flood. Mindy and her team worked constantly for months to help local businesses get through the disaster and the economic challenges that followed.

The Student Achievement Award this year went to Greyson Crenwelge of Fredericksburg High School. He is certainly an overachiever both at school and in extracurricular activities. 

Tom Musselman was honored with the Outstanding Public Service award. Tom has been a restauranteur, high school teacher, Mayor, City Council member, and is currently a Planning & Zoning Commissioner. Tom also volunteers at the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Chamber Ambassador Leta Ann Metzger was recognized with the Volunteer of the Year Award. 2026 marks her 41st year as an ambassador. There is no way to describe her dedication, enthusiasm and contribution over those four decades! 

This year’s Community Achievement award went to Bryon Schaetter. He shared that serving the community is clearly at the heart of his family’s values. Bryon’s wife, children and grandchildren attended the banquet—their smiles and a few tears of pride for Bryon were quite moving.

Bobby Watson was selected as Chamber Man of the Year. He is a Leadership Gillespie County graduate, a former Chair of the Chamber board of directors, and a long serving member of the Fredericksburg City Council. Bobby was clearly touched by the award which reflects his deep dedication to our community.

Chamber Woman of the year honoree is Maggie Klenzing. Every year, I interview each award winner for a video that is played at the banquet. I walked away from the filming of Maggie with even more admiration for her. Her humility is as striking as her significant support of our community. 

John Willome of the Good Samaritan Center is this year’s distinguished and highly deserving recipient of the Penny C McBride Distinguished Service Award. While John runs a critical service by providing medical service to local citizens who are unable to afford the fees, he is also deeply engaged in key issues in our community. When he does engage in an issue, he does so in a manner that leads to dialogue that creates collaboration. 

We do live in a very special community with incredibly special people!