Celebrating the Heart of Our Chamber
The 2025 Volunteer Recognition Reception was a wonderful reminder of what makes our Chamber so special—our people. This annual celebration gives us the chance to pause, connect, and truly appreciate the volunteers who generously share their time, talents, and passion to strengthen our business community and our city.This year’s honorees represent the very best of servant leadership. They show up, raise their hands, and consistently go above and beyond to support our mission and one another. Whether through committee leadership, advocacy, mentorship, or simply saying “yes” when help is needed, each of these individuals and teams makes a lasting impact.We were proud to recognize the following 2025 Volunteer Recognition Award winners:
- Committee Member of the Year
- Aging Services – Liam Dunfey, Assisting Hands of Carlsbad
- Ambassador Committee – Pam Lewko, Project Blue
- Business Resource Committee – Bennett Mann, The Chase Group
- Carlsbad Young Professionals – Erin Hardin, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation
- Education Committee – Christy Kay, Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School
- Government Affairs – Catherine Magaña, WWM Financial
- Green Business Committee – Gwen Beren, Illuminous Marketing
- Military Affairs – Shawnta Fleming, Handel’s Carlsbad
- Committee of the Year – Green Business Committee
- Committee Chair of the Year – Anthony Duval, Bluefire Mortgage Group
- Go Giver Award – Lucy Kelleher, Keep Them Loyal
- Rookie of the Year – Grace Burch, Chamberlain Property Management & Eric Cooper, Edward Jones
- Chamber Champion – Justin Jachura, Señor Grubby’s
To our award recipients—and to every volunteer who contributes behind the scenes—thank you. Your commitment, energy, and heart are the foundation of our Chamber’s success. We are so grateful for you and look forward to another year of connection, collaboration, and community impact together.