Chamber Honors Top Volunteers at Annual Celebration; David Pass Named Member of the Year

The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama recognized top volunteers during its 123rd annual celebration, presented on Thursday, Feb. 1, by The University of Alabama and ASI Partners, Inc. at Bryant Conference Center. 

David Pass of The Sealy Companies was named the Charles H. Land Member of the Year. This is the highest honor given to an individual member. Pass, who serves on the chamber’s Board of Directors, has been an active volunteer within the organization for several years.

"Demonstrating quintessential membership qualities, Dave Pass brings a wealth of knowledge that has significantly enriched the Chamber,” said Michele Coley, the Chamber’s 2023 chair of the board of directors. “Whether leading initiatives to bring air service to Tuscaloosa or spearheading our Washington Fly-In, his steadfast commitment is consistently dependable and valuable to us.”

The Honorable Richard C. Shelby Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Catherine J. Randall. Named in recognition of The Honorable Richard C. Shelby, who represented the State of Alabama in the United State Senate with distinction from 1987 to 2023, this award recognizes extraordinary leadership and service to the West Alabama Community. 

The Robert C. Tanner Corporate Service Award, which recognizes the corporate leadership, philanthropic efforts and community service by a member entity in the West Alabama region, was presented to The Builders Group. 

The Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Daniel Barnett of RTR Pro Entertainment.

The Diverse Business Council Trailblazer Award was presented to Dr. Stacy Jones of The University of Alabama.

The Nonprofit of the Year Award was presented to Tuscaloosa’s One Place.

The Chamber also recognizes exceptional organizational leadership with the presentation of two Distinguished Service Awards. These are given to individuals or organizations for their service and leadership. The awards were presented to Katrina Keefer of DCH Health System and JacQuan Winters of Kristen Amerson Youth Foundation.

The Entrepreneurial Rising Star Award was presented to Greg Crowe of Boostr.

The Chamber also recognized its staff members who reached milestones: Alicia Gregory, 5 years; Brittani Colburn, 6 years; LoWanda James, 20 years; and Carolyn Tubbs, 21 years. 

Following the presentation of awards was the official transition to the 2024 leadership team.

Coley, of Allstate Coley Agency, officially passed the gavel to Jheovanny Gomez of Jalapenos Mexican Grill, who now serves as the 2024 Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

To view the Chamber’s 2024 Executive Committee and Board of Directors, visit westalabamachamber.com/governance

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About the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama

The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is a Tuscaloosa County-based pro-business advocacy organization serving more than 65,000 working men and women through more than 1,300 business enterprises, civic organizations and education institutions.

The mission of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is to provide the leadership, vision and catalyst for the advancement of the economic prosperity, business climate and quality of life for the entire community.