GALION — The Galion-Crestline Area Chamber Chamber of Commerce has wrapped up a successful and busy year.

Miranda Jones, executive director of the chamber, said highlights for the organization in 2021 included partnering with the City of Galion to provide grant funding for numerous small businesses in the area and adding nearly 40 new members.

“We ended December of 2020 on a great note — helping to allocate and distribute over $800,000 of CARES funds to local businesses and non-profits county wide,” Jones wrote in the December 2021 chamber newsletter. “Working with County Commissioners and the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce, we established the Crawford County Small Business Relief Grant to quickly administer much-needed funding to small, local businesses and non-profits. Thank you to the Crawford County Commissioners for entrusting us with this venture.

“The hard work put in to this grant process was rewarded by once again being allocated CARES Act money in August 2021, this time by the City of Galion,” Jones added. “The City of Galion provided $200,000 in Federal CARES Act dollars to fund a Small Business Relief Grant program that focused on Galion businesses. The Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce administered and distributed the Galion Small Business Relief Grant. Thank you to the City of Galion for the opportunity to do so.”

New members who joined the chamber in 2021 included the following local businesses:

• Vulcan Products, Galion

• Galion Family Health Center, Galion

• S & S Enterprise, Galion

• Brian Shook Electric, Mansfield

• Third Street Family Health Services, Bucyrus

• KTB Metal Roofing & Exteriors, Galion

• SD Tattoo, Galion

• League of Riders Motorcycle Club, Galion

• Expendables Tattoo Inkorporated, Galion

• Downtown Vapor Lounge, Galion

• Keller Farms, Crestline

• The Hub at Village Square, Crestline

• Assurant Home Inspection Services, Galion

• Galion Community Chorus, Galion

• Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc., Ontario

• Rieman Excavating, Crestline

• Crawford Works, Bucyrus

• Ahead in the Cloud, Galion

• North Central Correctional Complex, Marion

• Galion Community Chorus, Galion

• Domino’s Pizza, Galion

• NI4 Design, Galion

• Cintas, Gahanna

• Dom’s Auto Detailing, LLC, Galion

• Crestline Railroad Community Center, Crestline

• Buckeye Workforce Development, Galion

• Rush Woodworks, Lexington

• Crawford Eye Clinic, Inc., Galion

• Linda Campbell, Independent Certified Health Coach

• YWCA of Northwest Ohio, Mansfield

• Short’s Specialty Construction, Galion

• Phillips Family Chiropractic, Galion

• Buckeye IT Services, Tiffin

• Generations Reality (Josiah Mahon), Galion

• JDog Junk Removal and Hauling, Galion

• Buehler’s Fresh Market, Galion

Also in 2021, Jones was selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to participate in the fifth cohort of its premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and trade associations with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges.

Jones was selected along with 34 other state and local chamber executives and association leaders to participate in the fifth class of this program. The yearlong virtual program, which concludes with an in-person meeting in June 2022, will cover the entire talent pipeline, including early childhood education, K-12, higher education, and workforce development.

“I am honored to have been selected for this fellowship program through the US Chamber,” Jones said. “We struggle in our area to attract and retain qualified, skilled workers. Through this program, I will be able to learn and develop strategies to improve workforce development here in Crawford County, Ohio.”

After the 2020 chamber annual meeting and awards breakfast was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, Jones said chamber officials were glad to be able to hold the event in 2021. Following are the award recipients who were honored at the breakfast in May 2021:

• Galion Mayor’s Award — Galion City Schools Food Service Department

• Crestline Mayor’s Award — Crestline Police Department

• Industry of the Year — Iron Vault Distillery

• Service Industry of the Year — Cleaning by Carrie (Carrie Cottrell)

• Business of the Year — Dzugan Real Estate Services (Joe and Gretchen Dzugan)

• Retail Business of the Year — Bistro 217 (Holly and Steve Rose)

• Service Business of the Year — Avita Health System

• Professional of the Year — Chad Miller, Galion Port Authority

• Young Professional of the Year — Chris Adler, Avita Health System Director of Emergency Management, Safety & Security

• Chamber Chair Award — Matt Echelberry, City of Galion Communications Director

• Chamber Volunteer Award — Crestline Community Development Team

• Chamber Service Award — Joe Kleinknecht, former Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce President/CEO

• Organization of the Year — Community Counseling Services (Cindy Wallis, Executive Director)

• President’s Award — Jennifer Allerding (Galion City Schools Superintendent) & Matt Henderson (Crestline Exempted Village Schools Superintendent)

• Executive Committee Award — Miranda Jones, Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director

For information about the Galion-Crestline Area Chamber of Commerce, go to its website galion-crestlinechamber.org.