Annual Business Person of the Year Awards Program
The Small Business Council, an affiliate of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, hosts their Business Person of the Year awards annually. Candidates are nominated by their peers, and an independent committee reviews applications and selects the finalists. The Business Person of the Year will be selected from two categories based on employee size. The Business Person of the Year awards program celebrates the ultimate recipients in each category; this event has evolved into one of the premier networking and business recognition events in the Greater Rochester region. For many past winners, this recognition has vaulted their companies to new levels of success!
The Criteria:
The Business Person of the Year Award recognizes for-profit business leaders who have demonstrated success in both civic and professional areas, specifically in the areas of growth, leadership, achievement, and community service.
To be eligible for the Award, the for-profit business leader must have held a senior leadership position in their company for at least three full fiscal years. The Business Person of the Year may be, but need not be, the owner of their for-profit business.
The Small Business Council affiliate is committed to providing Greater Rochester Chamber small business members with programs to help local business leaders and their businesses, grow and prosper – both personally and professionally. Inherent in our efforts is dedication to four critical areas of focus – Coaching, Celebrating, Connecting, and Caring. In evaluating applications, the Selection Committee will pay close attention to how the applicant demonstrates commitment to these values.
The Rewards:
The top finalists in each category are announced in the Business Person of the Year Awards magazine with a feature article published about each. Additionally, a video is professionally compiled for each of the top five finalists, shown live at the Business Person of the Year celebration event and may be used by the recipient for promotional purposes. Past finalists are also recognized at the Business Person of the Year celebration event each year. In 2024, the SBC increased its donation to $2,500 for the charity of choice for the two Business Person of the Year winners.
BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR APPLICATION (Complete the brief form that follows and sign and date the attestation:)
Confidentiality statement
The Small Business Council of Rochester, an affiliate of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, is sensitive to the potential concern for the confidentiality of the information shared with the SBC in this Application (the “Application”) for the Business Person of the Year Award (the “Award”). The Application is reviewed only by members of the SBC’s Selection Committee for the purpose of determining the Award finalists and winners and will be held confidential by those Selection Committee members.