Stribling firm wins Small Business of the Year

Published 10:58 am Tuesday, June 14, 2022

The Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce community members gathered Saturday in Georgia College’s Magnolia Ballroom for the annual chamber Gala. The gala is held to recognize the small businesses in Milledgeville and celebrate their accomplishments and their service to the community. The awards ceremony was held in person for the first time since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The ceremony was kicked off by Georgia College president Cathy Cox, who gave a warm welcome to the attendees and offered a prayer before the meal started. Following Cox was Erin Andrews with a 75th-anniversary tribute to the Chamber. 

Throughout the awards ceremony, the chamber played short videos about the four finalists for the Small Business of the Year award. The first of four videos was about Edward Jones Financial Advisor Crystal Law. The video was a short description of the business, what they have done for the community, and how honored they were to be nominated for this prestigious award.

After the first video, the first award was given out by Jennifer Minshew: The Rising Star Award, given to the newest businesses in Milledgeville. the winner was Surcheros Fresh Mex. Owners Luke and Debbie Cullars received the award and spoke about why they decided to open the chain in Milledgeville. Luke Cullars said, “We are not just about a meal; we are about inviting people to a place that is full of heart.” He thanked his team and his wife and finished his speech by saying, “Times are tough, and trying to find people who will work is hard, but we have found a good team.” 

The next finalist for the Small Business of the Year Award shown on the screen: Need A Nerd. In the video owner Mark Brownlow talks about his days as a Georgia College student and how he saw a need in Milledgeville for a tech repair company.

The video was followed by the Teacher of the Year award. The Baldwin County School District, Georgia Military College, and John Milledge Academy were in attendance to present their educators who have gone above and beyond for the 2021-2022 school year.

The Teacher of the Year for Baldwin County schools was Seticia Smith, who received the award from the superintendent Dr. Noris Price. Smith was awarded the prize due to her unwavering loyalty to her students. She teaches 7th grade and graduated from Georgia College. Upon receiving the award Smith said, “Everything I do, I do for my students.”

GMC’s Steve Greer was up next to present Teacher of the Year to Jennifer Spencer, who is also a GMC and a Georgia College alum.

JMA’s Teacher of the Year was presented by new head of school Clint Humphrey to Anne Herko, who has taught at John Milledge for 64 years and has always had a love for teaching children. Herko said, “I might be retiring, but I will be checking up on my students because I want to see where tier lives will take them.”            

Up next was the small business video for Sinclair Reserve Realty. Co-owners Kyle and Andrew Hitchcock spoke about how the Chamber has given them a chance to thrive in Milledgeville, and how much they love their employees and depend on them. 

The Ambassador of the Year award was presented was the 2021 winner, Jordan Norville. It went to Artis Williamson for his work at the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce.

Jon Jackson presented the next award for Making a Difference in Milledgeville, and Emily Herschel received it on behalf of Young Life Milledgeville. 

The last small business of the year video was Stribling Law Firm, P.C. J. Lance Stribling talked about how much the community means to him and his company. 

They might have saved the best for the last, as minutes later Stribling won the award for Small Business of the Year presented by Cindy Nunn. As soon as it was announced glitter cannons were released and the members of Stribling all filed up the stairs to receive their prize. Stribling spoke about how proud he is of his family and his co-workers. He said, “If there is one thing I think I have done right in my life, it’s that I have surrounded myself with people who have similar goals and dreams, and are invested in what we are doing.”