BAY MINETTE, Alabama — “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world, indeed it's the only thing that ever has.”

That quote from Margaret Mead was etched on glasses handed out at its 70^th annual banquet held Thursday, Feb. 18 and it’s a vision that the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce wants its members to take with them into the coming year and beyond.

“It’s a vision I firmly believe in,” said Chamber Executive Director Ashley Jones Davis, “and it’s one that I believe that this city and North Baldwin has and will continue to achieve.”

Officials touted the accomplishments of the North Baldwin Chamber over the last year and presented a vision for the future as 2015 Chairman Shane Hadley with Baldwin Gulf Coast Pest Control passed the gavel to 2016 Chairman Kimberly Cain of Robertson, Andreoli and Covington PC at Thursday night’s banquet.

Thursday’s banquet was presented by Baldwin EMC with Diamond sponsors Gulf Packaging, Faulkner State Community College, North Baldwin Utilities and Power Productions; Gold Sponsors The Hadley Law Firm and United Bank; and Silver Sponsors Keller Williams Realty, Alabama Gulf Coast and B and M Septic Tank Service.

Cain also recognized outgoing Board members for 2015, including Nicholas Bowen of Alabama Career Center, Webb Nall of Pepsi Cola Bottling Atmore, and Tonya Lambert of United Bank.

Board members and Executive Board members for 2016 were introduced including Vice Chairman Vinson Bradley of Huntingdon College, Treasurer Connie Gordon of Regions Bank and Secretary Lisa Yokley of North Baldwin Utilities, along with Board members Ben Hansert of North Baldwin Infirmary; John Hanley, Walmart; George Nelson, Bay Minette Rotary Club; Keith Castleberry, Edward Jones; Dollie Mims, City of Bay Minette; Harry Still III, Harry Still Law; Elizabeth Tiz Day, Faulkner State; Lynn Woodcock, Windcreek Hospitality; Dennis Tyree, Pepsi Cola Bottling Atmore; and Brian Seals, Baldwin EMC.

The evening culminated with the presentation of awards for 2015.

Retired educator Barbara Brown was presented with 2015 Harry B. Still Sr. Distinguished Service Award. Although she is retired after decades of service to Bay Minette area schools, Brown continues to serve as a substitute teacher at Bay Minette Middle School.

She is a member of Volunteers of America, who partners with the Light of the City Summer Camp. She runs the Light of the City Summer Camp each summer at the Douglasville School which has averaged over 150 children over the past three years.

She is one of the coordinators for the Area Women Action Group (AWAG) Pageant held each September at Faulkner State. The pageant places a spotlight on talented African American young women from around Baldwin County. She was appointed to serve on the Community Task Force for Education for the Bay Minette area and the Douglasville Advisory Board.

The Chamber also presented the 2015 Business of the Year Award and, for the first time this year, the Small Business of the Year Award.

The 2015 Small Business of the Year for the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce was presented to Vinson Bradley and Huntingdon College Evening Bachelor’s Program.

While maintaining an administrative staff of just two people, this small business has been active in community involvement, supporting events like Delta Dash, Relay for Life and the Chili Cook Off, among others.

The 2015 Business of the Year was presented to John Hanley and Walmart of Bay Minette.

As manager of Walmart, Davis said, Hanley encourages his staff to be active in civic clubs and organizations throughout North Baldwin and encourages them to serve their community.

Through their grant programs, they have regularly contributed to community programs such as the North Baldwin Literacy Council and Read Aloud Baldwin, along with the Heritage Junior Women’s Club and North Baldwin Chamber Foundation among others.

The banquet also featured special guest speakers U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne with Colby Cooper, chief of staff for Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson as the featured speaker for the meeting.

Cooper shared the vision of the Coastal Alabama Partnership and the growing, if somewhat reluctant at first, partnership between Mobile and Baldwin counties.

The vision of the Coastal Alabama Partnership began following the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico five years ago, Cooper said.

“There was just one thing missing from that vision back then,” he said, “having Mobile as an anchor city for the project.”

Under the previous administrations, Cooper said, Mobile had become stagnant over the last several decades, with no population growth, infrastructure improvements and no incentives for the city’s employees.

“Our goal when we took office was to make Mobile the safest, most family-friendly city in the United States by the year 2020,” he said.

Cooper compared that vision with President John F. Kennedy’s vision of putting a man on the moon in the 1960s.

“It took everyone working together toward a common goal to make that dream a reality,” he said, “and I believe we are well on our way to making this vision a reality so that we can work together to make our Alabama Gulf Coast the best it can be.”