Grindstone award
Nomination InformationThe 2022 Grindstone Award Banquet will be held on Thursday, September 15 at The Aviator.
The Grindstone Award is presented to an outstanding citizen by the Berea Chamber of Commerce each year at our annual Grindstone Award Banquet.
We rely on our members, local organizations, churches and residents to participate in our award program by helping us find worthy candidates that merit consideration for this award.
Nominees for the Grindstone Award should be those who have contributed significantly to the quality of life of the community through outstanding achievements, service to or support of its citizens in a way that has markedly made a difference.
The person’s contributions should be recognized by a substantial segment of the residents of the community.
You are invited to submit nominations via the nomination form, available on this page. There is no limit to the number of nominations a person may submit.
Nominations for the 2022 Grindstone Award must be submitted by Thursday, June 30. Nominations received after that date will not be able to be considered until the next year.
This is not an election, and the decision of the committee will not be based on the number of letters received, but solely on the significance of the nominee’s accomplishments within the framework as specified in the criteria.
We appreciate your interest in submitting a nomination and thank you in advance for your interest and participation.
Sincerely,
Dave Herwerden
Berea Chamber of Commerce President
The recipient of both the Grindstone and Courtesy Awards shall be decided by the Grindstone Award Selection Committee. That committee shall be comprised of the current and past Chairman of the Board, President, Vice President and Executive Director (non-voting member) of the Berea Chamber of Commerce. The current Berea Chamber Chairman of the Board shall serve as Chair of the Selection Committee.
Please submit nominations for the 2022 Grindstone and/or Courtesy Award to the Berea Chamber of Commerce no later than Thursday, June 30, 2022. Nominations can be submitted online by filling out the form(s) below.
Nominations may also be sent via mail to:
Berea Chamber of Commerce
Attn: Megan Baechle, Executive Director
PO Box 774
Berea, OH 44017
Grindstone Award Nomination Form
Courtesy Award Nomination Form
Nomination Criteria For the Grindstone Award
- Individuals nominated for the Grindstone Award should be cited for activities outside those connected with his/her employment.
- The award will recognize accomplishments or overall community service to the Berea area.
- Such an award shall be determined primarily on services and benefits rendered to other people or for other objectives, over and beyond excellence in one’s own profession, business service or enterprise, and extended over a period of two or more years.
- The candidate must actively participate in several community-oriented projects that are beneficial to the community as a whole. The welfare of the community should be of primary importance to the candidate.
- Emphasis should be given to accomplishments achieved within the last few years.
- The most consideration should take into account what the individual has done to make our community a better place in which to live and for what they have done through outstanding achievements, service or support of the citizens.
- Residency in the City of Berea need not be part of the criteria, but should be given serious consideration.
- The candidate must be living at the time of nomination and selection and may not have been a previous recipient.
Nomination Criteria For the Courtesy Award
- Award is to recognize individuals who go above and beyond in their line of work to serve their customers or the general public.
- Nominations can be submitted by anyone who has been positively impacted by the nominee including employers, supervisors, coworkers, customers, students, or the general public.
- There are three categories for the award which will include employees of for profit, not for profit and government organizations in the city of Berea. Examples of not for profit organizations include Baldwin Wallace, Ohio Guidestone, SCAN Hunger Pantry, and Berea Animal Rescue. Examples of government organizations include Berea City Schools, Berea City Hall, Post Office and Cleveland Metroparks.
- Multiple awards in each of the three categories (for profit, not for profit and government) may be made each year at the discretion of the Selection Committee.
- Nominees must work for an organization within the city of Berea but do not need to be a resident of the city.
- Nominees will be eligible to win the award only once.
- Previous Grindstone Award winners are not eligible to be honored with a Courtesy Award.
- Members of the Grindstone Award Selection Committee are not eligible.
- The award banquet ticket cost for each honoree will be complimentary.
- The honoree must be able to attend the award banquet to be eligible to receive the award.