The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner and Celebration Gala sponsored by CSI and Mercy Health was held at the Paducah-McCracken County Expo Center on January 30 with approximately 900 registered guests. U.S. Congressman James Comer presented the Paducah Chamber with a House Congressional Record honoring the Chamber’s recognition as the 2025 Chamber of the Year in Category 1 by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

The Paducah Chamber awards and celebration included 2025 Chamber Board Chair, Susan Ybarzabal, Paducah Market President at Paducah Bank, officially passing the gavel to Kenny Boyd, President of Baptist Health Paducah, as the Board Chair for 2026.

Emcees for the evening were Todd Faulkner with WPSD Local 6 and Suzanne Farmer with Mercy Health.

The Chamber honored several area businesses and individuals with their annual awards (additional information on the award winners follows the listing):

· Business of the Year – Mission Conversion Services Alliance

· Small Business of the Year – PFGW Architects

· Spirit of the Community – Barkley Regional Airport

· Summit Award – Dave Carroll, CEO of Paducah Power System

· Entrepreneur of the Year – John Stopka, Liberty Pest Control

· Citizens of the Year – Paul and Carrie Signa

· Non-Profit Organization of the Year – Lifeline Recovery Center

· Chamber Volunteer of the Year – Judd Malone, Edward Jones

· Leadership Paducah Alumnus of the Year – Mark Whitlow, Leadership Paducah Class #2. This award is selected and presented by the Leadership Paducah Alumni Association.

· Young Leader of Western Kentucky – Leigh Ann Ballegeer, Mercy Health – Lourdes Hospital. This award is selected and presented by The Paducah Sun. There were 10 finalists honored.

· Chair’s Award – Dr. Mike Muscarella. This award was presented by 2025 Chamber Board Chair Susan Ybarzabal.

· Chair’s Award (Posthumous) – Steve Doolittle. This award was presented by 2025 Chamber Board Chair Susan Ybarzabal.

The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce is the region’s largest business advocacy organization with approximately 950 member partners and one of the larger Chambers in the state. The Chamber is 5-star

accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and has been named “Chamber of the Year” three times – in 2025, 2017 and 2011 – by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).