Talk of the Town - August 2017

Celebrating Excellence

Hancock County's most popular business event of the year is also one of the most fun:  the annual Salute to Business and Industry Awards Gala.
- story by Ellis Anderson

Shoofly Home

The 2016 event finale: Myron Labat was named Citizen of the Year.

The county’s biggest business event of the year, the annual Hancock Salute to Business and Industry Awards Gala, takes place on Thursday, August 24th this year. 

​Held in the enormous Hollywood Casino grand ballroom, almost 500 businesspeople community leaders gather each year to celebrate the achievements of local citizens and businesses. 
 
The event, produced by the Hancock Chamber and  is always a sell-out - for good reason.  It eschews the traditional speeches over dinner formula and the evening’s production is more entertaining than boring. After the opening cocktail party, the gala launches into a seamless scripted timeline  - and nary a speech will be heard. 

Talk of the Town 
is sponsored by 

---

​Click here and scroll down for archived Talk of the Town columns 

​The business and industry award-winners are lauded in short, well-edited videos shown on large screens.  The year’s ten Outstanding Citizens are introduced in another video, leading up to the hold-your-breath moment when one of the ten is named Citizen of the Year. 
 
The gala’s been called the local version of the academy awards, because of this suspenseful finale.  But a few behind the scenes changes makes the announcement even more meaningful.
 
Beginning in 2016, the individual business winners (Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead, Waveland and Hancock County/Kiln), as well as the Citizen of the Year, are chosen by polling members of the Hancock Chamber. Organizers say that since the winners are selected by votes instead of a committee, it reflects the will of the membership.

While the business winners and the Outstanding Citizens are announced in June with much fanfare, the Citizen of the Year selection is held close to the vest.  Even chamber members have to wait until the announcement at the gala to find out the winner’s name.
 
Individual tickets to the event are $75 and tables are available with event sponsorships.  They can be purchased online. 

The 2017 business honorees:  

• Cuz’s Old Town Oyster Bar & Grill, Bay St. Louis  
• Beacon Theatres, Waveland
• Memorial Physician Clinics & Diagnostic Center, Diamondhead
• INFINITY Science Center, Hancock County/Kiln

---

The ten 2017 Outstanding Citizens were chosen from a field of 18 nominees.  

• Raymunda Barnes
• David Bassett
• Elise Deano
• Susan Duffy
• Craig Foster
• Madella and Blu Jordan
• Paul Montjoy
• Christina Richardson
• Susan Stevens
• Chuck Underwood

To read more about the 2017 Business of the Year winners and the Outstanding Citizens,click here.

Here's a video of the 2017 Outstanding Citizens - congrats again!