Chamber interns get an insider’s view of the award committee interviews

By Chelsea Smiley & Lili Ehrlich

Each year, the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce honors the businesses and individuals in our community that stand out among the rest. Their selections thrive in areas such as company management, employment, community service and ethics and integrity.

As interns, we had the opportunity to sit in on the interview with 2020 Solutions for the Small Business of the Year category. It felt great to be a fly on the wall instead of the pressure of conducting the interview, and we were able to soak in all the information and conversation going on around us.

The team from 2020 Solutions represented a range of positions. From the CEO to a team coach and a purchaser, we got a good idea of what each member brings to the table. We listened to stories about employees’ backgrounds, testimonials about the company culture and gained insight into their goals for the future.

Each finalist is also evaluated on their economic stability, company growth, the new jobs they’ve created and their upward mobility for employees.

While the Annual Awards subcommittee had a list of questions, the meeting felt informal and conversational. It was clear each committee member was invested in learning as much information they could about the company.

After the formal interview, the subcommittee will report back to the entire Annual Award committee about each nominee they interviewed. After all the interviews for each category are completed, the committee performs a blind vote to determine the winners.

With so many amazing businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County, it must be a hard decision. Each nominee is a leader in the community and has amazing stories about their employees, customers and how they’ve helped those in need. The Annual Awards Dinner is sure to be full of worthy and successful businesses and individuals.

Join us at 15th Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, December 5, presented by First Federal where the winners of Small, Large and Tourism Business of the Year will be announced along with CEO, Nonprofit, Maritime Industry, Young Professional and Ambassador of the Year.