The Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce held their annual awards banquet on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at the Boathouse Wine Company.
This “young” man is originally from New York, but he married a southeast Missouri gal named Maryann and ended up in Puxico, Missouri.
He recently became the Administrator of the IDA - Industrial Development Authority of Stoddard County in 2021. However he has served on the board for nearly 19 years. His main function is to create jobs, promote industry and promote tourism.
The IDA of Stoddard County office is located in Bloomfield on the Courthouse Square.
He was the former mayor of Puxico and currently serves as a city alderman. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and is a member of the Dexter Elks Lodge. He also attends Chapel on the Hill Church.
You might think why is a Puxico man receiving a Bloomfield award. Well his latest endeavor has been working with the Chamber through the IDA in filling the empty buildings in downtown Bloomfield. He attends many Commissioner meetings and is always putting in effort to “rent out” the buildings that belong to the county so downtown Bloomfield will hopefully thrive again.
He also attends most every Chamber event and ribbon cutting and he has assisted with financial funding to many of the businesses in Bloomfield utilizing IDA monies. He is a huge supporter of Bloomfield and we are thankful for his endeavors in helping Bloomfield thrive.
The Bloomfield Chamber would like to recognize and honor Peter Coutavas with the Man of the Year Award.
Photo provided.
The Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce held their annual awards banquet on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at the Boathouse Wine Company.
Tammy Fowler knew she wanted to be a nurse since she was in the 3rd grade and she did just that. She became a registered nurse in 1980 and a Family Nurse Practitioner in 1997.
As Tammy says, she is a city slicker from California. She married Ken Fowler in 1978 and it was Ken who brought her here to live in Missouri in 1980.
It was like a foreign country to her. Tammy and her husband, Ken, built a family here having two daughters, Jennifer and Rebecca and later a granddaughter Kylie and a grandson Triston.
Tammy lost her husband in 2021. He was a Veteran. She continues to build their legacy here in the community. She is a member of Mt. Zion Walker General Baptist Church, the Veterans Foreign War Auxiliary and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
She raises some cattle and chickens on their small farm here in Bloomfield and her California family enjoy coming to visit the rural community.
She has spent the majority of her professional career with Missouri Delta Medical Center and most recently with Southeast Health at the Bloomfield Health Clinic. She enjoys family practice because she gets to know the clients and develops a strong relationship with them, considering them an extension of her family. Her practice allows her to be there for her extended families who journey through battling serious medical health conditions. the relationships she has build here in the community with the people she takes care of will last a lifetime.
The clients of Bloomfield truly care for Tammy and it definitely shows.
On behalf of the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, the Woman of the Year Award is dedicated to Tammy Fowler.
The Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce held their annual awards banquet on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at the Boathouse Wine Company.
John Bruce has lived and worked in Bloomfield his entire life. He is a 1982 graduate of Bloomfield High School and is considered a "fixture" of Bloomfield.
In the summer, you can usually spot John moving one of several yards around town after work. he seems to know everyone in town, and most of the town knows John.
He tries to help anybody in need and especially the elderly.
John began his career with th city in 1983 working mainly part-time for the street department. He was able to work more hours during the summer months mowing.
In 1993 John became a full-time employee for the street department for the city of Bloomfield and has been with the city ever since.
John has two grown children and two grandchildren.
You may find John working somewhere in the city and we are very grateful for his continued service to the people of Bloomfield, especially the elderly.
The Bloomfield Chamber was extremely proud to give John the City of Bloomfield Personnel of the Year Award!
The Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce held their annual awards banquet on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at the Boathouse Wine Company.
Aslin Farms began in 1919 when Ernest and Eva Aslin, Robert's grandfather and grandmother and Nathan's great grandfather and great grandmother had 60 acres of land continuously. Through the years the amount of land added to the farm has greatly expanded.
Robert (Bob) Aslin and Nathan, his son, along with their wives, children, grandchildren, siblings, and extended family play a big part in the success of the Aslin Farm operation.
The Aslin family farm has approximately 2,300 acres. Their crops are made up of corn, soybeans and wheat. and they are also involved in the cattle business owning approximately 100 head. Of course, being smart farmers, they bale all the hay they feed to the cattle.
Some children graduated from school and wanted to move on to what they think are bigger and better thing, but not his family. When Robert was growing up he worked on the farm during the school year and once he graduated, he remained on the farm. Then his son, Nathan, worked on the farm during the school year and when he graduated, he remained on the arm and they have grown the operation to where it is today.
They have continued the heritage that Ernest and Eva Aslin began 104 years ago.
In 2019 the Aslin Family Farm was designated a "Century Farm" by Farm Bureau of Missouri.
It is an honor tonight to award the Bloomfield Chamber Farm Family of the Year to the Aslin Farms.
The Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce held their annual awards banquet on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at the Boathouse Wine Company.
Sonja Hobbs was named the Bloomfield Chamber Teacher of the Year.
She has been a valued member of the Bloomfield School staff for 25 years. For 23 years she was a teacher.
Hobbs graduated from the Bloomfield Class of 1992 and then earned an Education Degree at Southeast Missouri State University - Cape Girardeau.
She also obtained a Communication Disorders Degree as well.
The life an educator was a pick that came naturally coming from a family of educators. Her mom taught for thirty years and her dad taught for a brief stint as well. During her time as an educator at her alma mater she has taught kids ranging from Pre-K to the 6th grade. Spending time on 5th grade, Title I Reading, math and small group instruction. These were years where she had the chance to learn from some wonderful mentors.
She has also helped tutor and with the summer school program. her passion for teaching continued in 2018 when Hobbs became certified in a science-based reading program called connections OG in 3D. This program focused on a multisensory structured language approach which helped kids who showed signs of possible dyslexia. This was a life changing training for her, in which she was able to become a dyslexia interventionist.
In her down time though Sonja enjoys spending time with her family. her husband Michael and her son brant who followed in her footsteps to study at Southeast Missouri State University.
In the end Sonja has prepared and worked to perfect her craft to help students these last 25 years.
The Bloomfield Chamber was very excited to give Mrs. Sonja Hobbs the Teacher of the Year Award.
