DOVER — The Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce the nominations for its annual Excellence in Business Awards and to notify members that voting is open until May 23.

The community will then convene 5:30-9 p.m. June 20 at Bally’s Dover to witness the winners and cheer for a great year of doing business together.

This prestigious event, brought to you by signature sponsor Merrill Lynch Wealth Management-Connell & Associates, recognizes outstanding businesses and individuals who have made significant contributions to the central Delaware community over the year and serves as the culminating celebration for the awards.

Each year, the chamber is honored to facilitate a platform to showcase the time, talents and treasure that each nominee has shared through their business and their busy lives. We ask voters to take into consideration the growth of the individual/company, their response to challenges and their involvement with the area. These are pillars of strong leadership skills that must be highlighted and considered.

The Excellence in Business Awards highlight the hard work, innovation, service and dedication of businesses across various categories, including Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year and Young Professional of the Year. Chamber members: Now is the time to let your support and voice be heard. Voting is open and will close May 23. Each member business is asked to cast one vote in each category for the nominee it thinks exemplified excellence this year.

To be nominated is already a great honor in itself. It is amazing to see so many people from various industries and expertise levels come together to support one another. Let’s have a round of applause for the 2024 Excellence in Business Award Nominees:

• Small Business of the Year — Bright Side Roofing, High Ground Creative and Lean on Me Caregiving.
• Large Employer of the Year — Century Engineering, Del-One Federal Credit Union and George & Lynch Inc.
• Young Professional of the Year — Kianna Burgos, director of agent experiences, Keller Williams Central Delaware; Johnathan Flamer, food and beverage operations manager, Bally’s Dover; and Allan Timlin, bar manager/mixologist, Roma Italian Ristorante/Sul Tempo Cocktail Lounge.

Members are invited to vote at surveymonkey.com/r/cdccawards2024. Remember: Only chamber members are eligible to vote, and only one vote is allotted per member business. Do your civic duty. Together, we can make this year’s Excellence in Business Awards a true testament to the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in central Delaware.

The chamber thanks you for your continued support and participation. Let’s make this year’s awards ceremony the best one yet. We can’t wait to roll out the red carpet for you. For information or to register, visit cdcc.net or call 302-734-7513.

Upcoming events

• May 29: Sunset Business Mixer, Hampton Inn Milford, 5-7 p.m.
• June 6: Kent County Open for Business, Kent County Levy Court Room 220, 8:30-10 a.m.
• June 12: Coffee Coaching, “The Power of Video,” via Zoom, 8-9 a.m.