MHA Executive Director Steven Cobb, Small Business Development Center at JCC staff, and Tom Benson
The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce will recognize local leaders and organizations at its Annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, October 6.
Steven Cobb will be honored as Person of the Year. Cobb is the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County. He is lauded in the nomination letter for his work with the agency.
Under his direction, the MHA has expanded services by opening an office in Dunkirk and grown the agency’s annual budget by $1 million, with 22 staff members.
The Chamber’s annual Economic Development Award will be presented to the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College. With a staff of five full time certified business advisors and two part time advisors, the staff at the SBDC has seen a bulge in its request for services in the past four years. While it once served 350 small businesses a year, that number is now close to 800 annually.
The SBDC was instrumental in assisting small businesses through COVID relief programs at the federal and state level. Since March of 2020, over $33.5 million was received by area businesses to help with the economic regrowth of the region, and the team at SBDC helped those small businesses create and retain over 2,400 jobs.
Each of the six community Chambers of Commerce will present a Community Service Award during the Chamber Banquet.
The Jamestown Community Chamber of Commerce will present its Community Service Award to Tom Benson. He will be recognized for his part in the revitalization of downtown Jamestown, including his work in recent years with the National Comedy Center.
The Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet will be held in person at the Williams Center on the campus of the SUNY Fredonia. Advance registration is required and can be done online at www.chamberrsvp.org.
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