Chamber Honors Top Volunteers at Annual Meeting; Dr. Jonathan Koh named Member of the Year
February 10, 2026
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama recognized top volunteers during its 125th annual meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5. The event was presented by Northport Sports Development, LLC.
Dr. Jonathan Koh of Shelton State Community College was named the Charles H. Land Member of the Year. This is the highest honor given to an individual member.
"We are proud to recognize Dr. Koh as our Member of the Year,” said Donny Jones, Executive Vice President of The Chamber. “His tireless dedication to bridging the gap between education and workforce development has strengthened our local talent pipeline and directly contributed to the economic vitality of West Alabama.”
The Honorable Richard C. Shelby Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Stuart Bell. Named in recognition of the Honorable Richard C. Shelby, who represented the State of Alabama in the United States Senate with distinction from 1987 to 2023, this award recognizes extraordinary leadership and service to the West Alabama community.
The Robert C. Tanner Corporate Service Award, which recognizes the corporate leadership, philanthropic efforts and community service by a member entity in the West Alabama region, was presented to The Westervelt Company.
The Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Marvin Turner of Choice Salon Suites.
The Collective Business Council Trailblazer Award was presented to Ashley Wheat of The Alabama Blues Project.
The Nonprofit of the Year Award was presented to The Kristen Amerson Youth Foundation.
The Chamber also recognizes exceptional organizational leadership with the presentation of two Distinguished Service Awards. These are given to individuals or organizations for their service and leadership. The awards were presented to Blake Madison of Rosen Harwood and Glenda Webb, recently retired from the City of Northport
The Entrepreneurial Rising Star Award was presented to David Grant, Jr. of Catch A Taste.
The H. Pettus Randall Entrepreneur of the Year was presented to Hinton Howell and Larry Howell of Hinton Lumber Products.
Following the presentation of awards was the official transition to the 2026 leadership team.
Carl Jamison, of JamisonMoneyFarmer PC, officially passed the gavel to Heyward Gould of BankFirst, who now serves as the 2026 chair of the Chamber’s board of directors.
To learn more and view the Chamber’s board of directors, visit westalabamachamber.com/board-of-directors.