Jim and Sylvi Caporale receive the Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award from Chamber President and CEO Kelsy Eaton during Monday evening’s dinner. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

MARIETTA — Business leaders and community members gathered Monday for the 110th Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner at Marietta College’s Dyson-Baudo Recreation Center.

The evening was dedicated to recognizing the achievements of the past year, honoring distinguished individuals and looking ahead to the future of the local business community.

The chamber celebrated a successful 2024, having hosted more than 70 business events to foster networking, learning and development.

Outgoing board Chairwoman Tina Adams acknowledged the support of federal, state and local officials, as well as representatives from economic development organizations such as Marietta Main Street and the Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Adams formally handed over the position of Chair to Jennifer Offenberger, a longtime community leader and advocate. Adams was recognized for her leadership, which included overseeing new membership benefits, expanded networking opportunities and a $50,000 donation to the planned Women and Children’s Hospital in Belpre.

Keynote speaker Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s Corporation, shared her journey of reviving her family’s historic roadside brand, reflecting on the lessons she learned in business and leadership.

Stuckey emphasized the power of storytelling in business, explaining that every successful brand has three key elements: authenticity, emotional connection and adversity. She recounted how, after a career in public service, she unexpectedly had the opportunity to buy back Stuckey’s — a company that had once thrived under her grandfather but had fallen into decline due to decades of mismanagement.

“I traded in my comfortable life to revive a brand that had become a shadow of what it once was,” Stuckey said. “I knew nothing about business, but I had a story, and that story gave me purpose.”

Stuckey detailed how she rediscovered her grandfather’s legacy through family archives, learning from his entrepreneurial spirit. She described the challenges of navigating an outdated business model, rebuilding the brand’s identity and embracing change.

“Change is inevitable, and in business, you either embrace it or you get left behind,” she said. “My grandfather recognized this when the interstate highway system changed the landscape of roadside businesses. He adapted, and so did I.”

Five awards were presented to businesses and individuals in the community:

* Washington County Council of Cooperatives Argricultural Award – Dave and Debbie Biehl

* Gabe Zide Citizen of the Year Award – Al Lang

* Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award – Jim and Sylvi Caporale

* Business of the Year Award (Small Business) – Wilky’s Sports Bar

* Business of the Year Award (Big Business) – Peoples Bank

Wilky’s Sports Bar owner Bill Wilkinson discussed how pleased he was to be honored by the community with the short time his bar has been open.

“We are truthfully honored and blessed. We couldn’t do this without the community,” he said. “I believe that when we opened Wilky’s just a little over a year ago, you know, I really had a vision of what we were going to do downtown. I’d had no idea that we would do as well as we are. So we’d love to give back to the community.”

Lang also gave thanks to the community after receiving the Citizen of the Year award. He was introduced by the 2024 recipient, Jack Haessly, who shared a brief history about Greenleaf Landscapes Inc., a company Lang began approximately 50 years ago. Haessly celebrated Lang’s strong family values, his enduring belief in his religion and his creative mind for both design and business, which Haessly says has contributed to the success of his company.