February 19, 2022

The Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce was pleased to recognize five outstanding members with awards at their Annual Gala on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at The Pavilion at John Knox Village. Each year the organization gives out awards to honor those individuals who have gone above and beyond to serve the Lee’s Summit business community. Those five awards include The Steve Gouldsmith New Member of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, The Bob Glaser Ambassador of the Year, Lifetime Member Award and the Hall of Fame Award.

The 2021 winners are:

The 2021 Steve Gouldsmith New Member of the Year – Matt Fast, Poo Squad Lee’s Summit
Upon joining the chamber, Matt joined many committees which included the Chamber Young Professionals, Oktoberfest and the Ambassador Committee. Matt has been an all-star member and volunteer, from his support of the 2021 Gala, to the challenge of managing the sports tent at Oktoberfest, where he spent the entire weekend prepping, recruiting, and working to ensure the festival attendees had a wonderful experience, to jumping into assist in the Wings for Water Chamber tent. As a new member to the Chamber, he did it all.

The 2021 Volunteer of the Year – Sarah Barnaby, Lee’s Summit Nutrition
Sarah has been an irreplaceable asset to the events the chamber hosts. She is always the first to spring into action or complete any task asked of her. As chair of the 2021 Annual Gala she spent countless hours prepping for the event, seeking auction items, and even recruited her family to help volunteer. Sarah was also the volunteer coordinator for the entire Oktoberfest weekend where she coordinated an army of volunteers, ensuring tent staffing was fully operational and sourced items where needed. And yes, she did it all with a smile on her face.

The 2021 Bob Glaser Ambassador of the Year – Darrell Leven, Individual Member
Darrell may be “officially” retired, but he often puts in a full day’s work to promote the Chamber to prospective members. Darrell attends nearly all of the chamber events and supports the new businesses via ribbon cuttings, is very welcoming and a great connector, he advocates for the chamber and does a phenomenal job recruiting members. He leveraged his business contacts and persuasive sales experience to recruit eight new members in 2021 to earn the prestigious Ambassador of the Year Award.

The 2021 Carl Chinnery Lifetime Member Award – Carl Chinnery
Each year the Chamber chooses an individual who has played an important role during their tenure as a member to receive the Lifetime Member Award. This year they not only honored the winner with the award, but they also renamed the award after him. Carl Chinnery has meant so much to the Lee’s Summit Chamber and the Lee’s Summit community. He has played an integral part in almost every step the Chamber has taken, including holding a number of committee chair positions and serving as the Chair of the Board in 1979. The Chamber wouldn’t be where it is today without his vision and support.

The final award presented was the Hall OF Fame Inductee. The Chamber established the annual “Hall of Fame” Award in 2006 with the criteria for this award including being a member of the Lee’s Summit Chamber for a minimum of 10 years, showing continuous active involvement through financial and volunteer support and being respected throughout the community. Each recipient has had a significant positive impact and has consistently exemplified the philosophy, value and mission of the Chamber.

The 2021 Hall of Fame Inductee – Morehead Agency, LLC
The Morehead Agency has been actively engaged in the Chamber since they joined in 2005. They’ve contributed countless hours working all the Chamber’s major events, serving on committees, and the Board of Directors, as well as Tyler Morehead, serving as the Chair of the Board in 2017. Tyler continues to be engaged in the community and several organizations outside of the Chamber. His knowledge and dedication have been a key component to the Chamber’s overall success. The Chamber extended a special thank you to Tyler, his dad Tim, and the entire Morehead Agency for their continued support and welcomed them to the Chamber Hall of Fame.