I said it last week, but this is one of my favorite columns of the year, as we look back at the great successes of the year. As a chamber, we are mainly always looking forward to what comes next. The next event, the next program, the next ribbon-cutting, the next meeting, the next new business — we are always looking ahead. However, it’s also important to look back and remember what we did accomplish, who had standout years, who we honored and what successes we can build on for the year to come.
I try and do this mostly chronologically, so I’ll be starting with the beginning of the year this week and hopefully wrap it up with next week’s column with the rest of the year. Here we go:
8 business leaders honored
The year began with our Awards and Recognition Committee announcing our Annual Award Winners in January, and then we honored them on March 14 at St. John’s Community Center. It was a special night, and a unique night, as it really is the one time per year where we elevate one business or leader over others in the community.
Before I give you a refresher on who was honored in March 2025, I should mention that nominations are now open for those we will honor this March 2026. Nominations happen through mid-January and any business or business leader can be nominated. Don’t worry about the criteria for the award; just send a message to me on who you think should be honored and why. I will bring forward all nominations to the committee for consideration. Please send any nominations and a brief description of why they should be considered to [email protected].
Here’s a look at the March 2025 winners:
2025 Small Business of the Year: Fairwinds Farm
Between its CSA program, the farmstand, the pop-up at the Topsham Fair Mall and the numerous farmers markets, Fairwinds Farm does all it can to bring the freshest produce (and even Christmas trees and wreaths) to you. Farming is a critical industry and Fairwinds Farm is an industry leader we are proud to recognize.
2025 Large Business of the Year: MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital
It’s not just for being the region’s leading health care provider that allows for the growth and development of our region, or for being a major employer, but it’s for how MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital engages in community as to why it was honored. There is seldom a board of directors that MaineHealth isn’t a part of as they show they care about the community by being an active part of the community.
2025 Young Professional of the Year: Hannah Chatalbash
One of the most impactful nonprofits in the region is Mid coast Hunger Prevention Program, and as the executive director, Hannah has been a huge part of its development over the last decade. Her leadership, staff development and volunteer recruitment have made MCHPP a leading organization in our region.
2025 Citizen of the Year: Brittany Hyde
An instrumental leader in our community, Brittany has shown remarkable effectiveness in building a community of supporters through her business Spark Cycling Studio. Over the past four-plus years, Brittany has initiated fundraising events that have raised over $160,000 in net proceeds for other organizations, highlighted by her ALS fundraiser Plunge for the Funds, which has raised over $30,000 in each of it’s first two years.
2025 President’s Award: Jim Howard
Outgoing Chamber President Shannon Anketell gave her award to Jim Howard of Priority Real Estate Group. Jim does so much for the region, for area organizations and specifically for our chamber, and Shannon wanted her last act as president to say thank you for all of the support.
2025 Director’s Award: Sitelines, P.A.
I gave my award to Kevin, Bruce and the whole team over at Sitelines. Besides being members for over 30 years, Sitelines has been a part of every chamber event for the last five years at least, and they’re great advocates and supporters of the chamber.
2025 Excellence In Entrepreneurship: OystHERS Raw Bar & Bubbly
Two sisters had one dream to honor their dad by bringing forward a great product and deliver it in a space that celebrates artists, community and more. OystHERS is a love story to coastal Maine and what it means to love your community.
2025 Nonprofit of the Year, Bath Area Family YMCA
Between the new child care center in partnership with BIW and the hundreds of families that its programming supports through its two sites in the region, the impact of the Bath Area Family YMCA is huge. Its a great community partner and always evolving with the needs of the region.
We connected to tomorrow
Probably the biggest development of 2025 for the chamber was our partnership with the United Way of Mid Coast Maine in developing the internship and video projects that we coined “Connecting to Tomorrow.” The idea is simple: We need to connect current students with the employers of tomorrow and showcase the career paths they are interested in. This grant-funded initiative was piloted this spring, with a video celebration in May, and has ramped up this fall. Weekly, we are making internship placements, and this January, we will be resuming the video project where we highlight businesses who have policies or a workplace culture that “connects to tomorrow.” The employers get interviewed by students and then produce videos from that.
These are the first steps into what we see as annual programming to help more students experience careers while in school to see what they like. We will be showcasing some of the success stories later in 2026, but I can say with certainty that these programs have led already to personal growth for the students and, in some cases, future employment. Being able to help students find their career path and grow is extremely rewarding.
We will pick it up from here next week!
Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick-Topsham Regional Chamber of Commerce.