Chamber of Commerce Honors Outstanding Monrovians

Inaugural Pam Fitzpatrick Award introduced

By Terry Miller

Billedas “Denim and Diamonds,” the annual installation and awards gala for theMonrovia Chamber of Commerce was held Friday night at the Hilton DoubleTreeHotel.

Thepopular and well-attended event was a veritable who’s who of Monrovia moversand shakers with several notables receiving special awards. Guests includedMayor Tom Adams, Councilwoman Gloria Grudgington and Councilwoman Becky Shevlinwho was accompanied by her husband Chris.

Onechamber member held up a copy of Monrovia Weekly and quipped that Chris Shevlinnow has a new career as a walking billboard. (Monrovia Weekly featured BeckyShevlin’s husband on page one, Jan. 16, for his unique way of helping campaignfor his wife.)

Onhand for the festivities was Hal Leavens who works with John Watson on manycommunity projects, most notably the Welcome Wagon. Watson was bestowed theService to Chamber award for his numerous volunteer efforts within the city.

TheMonrovia Chamber of Commerce and incoming President Judy Schaeffler presentedthe group’s annual awards. Darrel G. Brooks was given the Iris Award forCitizen of the Year. He is well known in the community for the manyvolunteer hours he spends with local charitable organizations. He is apast president of the Monrovia Rotary Club (during his presidency the club wasNo. 2 in the district for donating to the Rotary Foundation). Within thelast year he established a scholarship fund for construction students atMonrovia Adult School. 

Brookshas long been the pro bono attorney for the Monrovia Historic PreservationGroup and helped the organization with projects as diverse as negotiating andsecuring the Library’s bear mural from the post office, to providing fundingfor the new roof for the Anderson House Museum. He has also supported thearts as both a sponsor for Centre Stage and the Louise K. Taylor Performing ArtsCenter at Monrovia High School. For this and other philanthropicactivities within the arts, he was named by the Monrovia Association of FineArts as its Renaissance Award recipient in 2017.

TheBusiness Person of the Year, the Monroe Award, was presented not to anindividual but to a business, 38 Degrees Alehouse and Grill. Since lastMay alone the restaurant has raised over $3,000 for Monrovia schools by hostingfundraising nights. They regularly donate gift cards to localcharities. They have been instrumental in organizing the beer at theMonrovia Music Festival.

JohnWatson was recognized with the Service to the Chamber Award. He is alwayson hand at ribbon cuttings and attends every Chamber event when he is town. Heand his wife Katie maintain their business Swing N Country and is one half ofthe Monrovia Welcome Wagon, greeting new residents to the community. Watsondoes the same for new businesses in town, reaching out to them and making themaware of the Chamber and all it can do.

TheMonrovia Public Library’s Veterans Resource Center and its seven volunteerswere honored with the Military Service & Stewardship Award. Thisdedicated group including Joseph Callahan, Jose Castillo, Michael Kaplan,Marcia Coy, Richard McCubbins, David-Paul Mikami and Candido Pinto were alltrained by CalVet to assist veterans reenter the community and navigatethe Veterans Administration and CalVet.

Anew award was presented for the first time in honor of the late PamFitzpatrick, long time business person and community activist andvolunteer. Fitzpatrick’s son Luke presented this new award to DianeBalsamo. The award honors individuals who advocate for building a strongerbusiness community. Balsamo does this in so many ways. She helpsorganize such Old Town events ass the Wine Walk and the Fall Festival. Sheeven goes so far as to don a bunny suit at Easter and an elf outfit for theholidays (especially Small Business Saturday). Among her other activities,she serves on the Board of Monrovia Reads, the local literacy foundation, andis a past president of Monrovia Kiwanis.

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