The Greater Washington Business Partnership Annual Dinner and Awards Celebration was held Monday evening, and local businesses and citizens were honored. 

The Washington Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year was Ace n More, and fellow nominees included Aurora Healing Gardens and Event Center, Cafe Dodici, Libations on Iowa, Northside Diner, Stairway to the Stars, and WCDC. The Citizen of the Year is Steve Roth, and other nominees included Ron Canny, Nicholas Gingerich, Marde McConnell, Elaine Moore, Cary Ann Siegfried, Larry Weidner, and Melissa Westphal. 

The Harvey Holden award recipient was Linda Quigley.

Main Street Washington’s Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Don Kline and Marianne Hanshaw, and their Heart of Main Street Award was given to Stairway to the Stars.

The evening ended with keynote speaker Debi Durham, the Director of both the Iowa Finance Authority and the Economic Development Authority. During her speech, Durham shared insight on Washington County, “As Director, I go to communities like this two to three days per week. And the reason I do that, is because one, it tells me what it is that I am here to sell as your Director of Economic Development. But more importantly it’s inspirational, when you see the Vista Park that we toured the last time I was here in Kalona. Or you see the YMCA that you worked on with Destination Iowa, and you see all of the new housing starts happening all around. You’re doing an incredible job, things are really starting to happen, and we are happy to be your partner.”   

The annual event organized by the Washington Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Washington, and Washington Economic Development Group was held at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.