ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chesterfield chamber names award winners at banquet

The above photograph is this year's winner of the John Tyler Community College Foundation Art Award.

The Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce named Boulevard Flower Gardens at Ruffin Mill as its 2007 Business of the Year on Jan. 25 during the group's annual banquet. Gov. Tim Kaine was the featured speaker at the event.

"We are pleased to present Boulevard Flowers with this award," said Sam Kaufman, 2007 chairman of the Chesterfield chamber. "This 53-year-old company has made a major statement in the retail market with its new facility off I-95 in Chesterfield County and has proven itself as a wonderful corporate citizen."

Holly Flores of UBS Financial Services was named the 2007 Member of the Year. She served as treasurer of the chamber's board of directors and led the membership committee. Bob Schrum of Flagstop Carwash & Quick Lube and Greg Pearson of the Chesterfield Observer were given the chairman's awards for their contributions to the chamber.

Jazz guitarist Anthony Carter is on Garageband.com's All-Time Best list.

The chamber honored Jim Bourque as its Citizen of the Year for 2007. Bourque retired from the Chesterfield County Police Department last year as deputy chief of police after serving in a variety of positions throughout his 35-year law enforcement career. The recipients of the chamber's third annual Community Hero awards were Kevin Moran of the Chesterfield County Fire Department, Laura Fletcher, a teacher at Bellwood Elementary School, and Officer Scott A. Earley of the Chesterfield County Police Department.

In other announcements:

L.C. Bird High School sophomore Ayshia Thomas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Hataway Jr., will be a teen contestant in the Miss Chesterfield/Miss Hanover Pageant on Feb. 9 at Hanover High School.

SouthPeak Interactive, LLC and Global Services Partners Acquisition Corp. have merged to form SouthPeak Interactive Corporation. SouthPeak in Midlothian is a fast-growing video game publisher that utilizes independent studios to source and produce innovative video games.

GMAC Mortgage, LLC has hired Lee Jean-Pierre as a loan officer for its Midlothian branch. A county resident, Jean- Pierre has eight years of mortgage experience, including being sales manager at Countrywide Home Loans in Colonial Heights. GMAC Mortgage is one of the largest mortgage originators and servicers in the United States.

A photograph by Robert Wynne has been selected as the 2008 Foundation Art Award winner by the John Tyler Community College Foundation Board. Taken during a trip to Scotland, the photograph captures old farm implements at rest in a field within the shadows of an ancient castle. The image will be converted into a poster and used for fundraising efforts. Wynne received $100, a framed and matted copy of the poster, and additional posters for portfolios.

During 2007, Garageband.com reviewers named Chesterfield's Anthony Carter as "Best Jazz Guitar" player for six weeks. The ranking has placed him in the Top 10 of Garageband.com's All-Time Best. There were 2,081 total entries in the international jazz category. Carter, an English teacher and Brandermill resident, is the former lead guitarist for Acoustinova, a Roanoke-based swing-jazz band.Announcements can be e-mailed to news@chesterfieldobserver.com , faxed to 744-3269 or mailed to Chesterfield Observer, Attn: Announcements, P.O. Box 1616, Midlothian, VA 23113.