BOISE, ID – The Boise Metro Chamber inducted Blue Cross of Idaho President and CEO Charlene Maher into its Hall of Fame during its annual Small Business of the Year and Chamber Excellence Awards May 10 at Boise Center East.

“Inducting a member of our community into the Chamber Hall of Fame is the highest honor we can bestow as an organization,” said Bill Connors, President and CEO of the Boise Metro Chamber. “We recognized our inaugural honoree back in 2013. This year, Charlene Maher will take her place on our Wall of Fame as the 10th recipient. I believe the entire Treasure Valley community will agree with me when I say that there is no one more deserving of this honor.”

Seven organizations and one other individual were recognized during the ceremony. The winners in each category received a trophy and special recognition.

“We’ve had so many great companies nominated for these awards,” said Connors. “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to recognize ‘Boise’s Best’ from among our members, who all work so hard to make this community what it is – the best place in the country to live, work, and play.”

Selecting from the individual category nominees to choose just one Government Advocate of the Year and one Chamber Hall of Fame inductee is an especially daunting task that can take weeks of conversation and consideration among event judges, he said.

“There are so many people in this community who are going above and beyond to make this great city even better,” said Connors. “It can be very tough for our judging panels to choose just one to recognize in these categories.”

This year’s Government Advocate of the Year is former Idaho State Representative and current Association of Idaho Cities Executive Director Kelley Packer.
 
The 2022 business category winners are:
 

Small Business of the Year (fewer than 25 employees)
Paradigm of Idaho
 
Small Business of the Year (more than 25 employees)
Colliers
 
Healthcare Industry Excellence
Garden Plaza of Valley View
 
Financial Services Industry Excellence
United Heritage Insurance
 
Food & Agricultural Industry Excellence
Lamb Weston
 
Travel Industry Excellence
Boise Hawks
 
Nonprofit Industry Excellence
Wyakin Foundation

Each year, Chamber members and business leaders come together to celebrate our members' excellence at the Small Business of the Year & Chamber Excellence Awards luncheon. This year will continue the long-standing tradition as three finalists in each category will receive recognition at this year's luncheon. Categories include: travel, healthcare, financial services, food and agriculture, and nonprofit, as well as Small Business of the Year (small and medium-sized). ​