KALKASKA - Nearly 100 community leaders and chamber members filled the room at the 2008 Greater Kalkaska Area Chamber of Commerce annual luncheon on Wednesday, April 9, at the Kalkaska United Methodist Church.

Toni Wayda, an instructor at the Kalkaska Learning Lab for 20 years, was named Citizen of the Year. GKACC board president, Rob Barnard said that during Wayda's years of service, she has been the cornerstone of adult education for the residents of the Kalkaska community.

"She has been an outstanding mentor, teacher, and role model," Barnard said. "Her tireless efforts to improve the quality of life for her students have resulted in life changing events leading to greater means of self-sufficiency for numerous citizens of Kalkaska County.

"The help that Toni offered her students didn't start or stop at the Learning Lab doors. Over the years, she has given rides to students with no transportation, helped them sort out legal, daycare, or housing issues, and even referred students to other agencies for assistance that she wasn't able to provide. She helped struggling single mothers gain confidence and improve their workplace skills in order for them to get jobs. She encouraged countless numbers of students to never give up on their ability to learn and change the course of their lives. Her students have included those with mental and emotional disabilities that may have daunted a less dedicated person."

Recently, Wayda's husband, Curtis, had an accident that forced him to enter the Kalkaska Memorial Health Center Ð Long Term Care facility. Several past students, now Certified Nurse Aides, working at the facility reportedly have welcomed Curtis and provided a bit of extra needed attention to help lift his spirits and speed his recovery process.

After 20 years of devoting herself to the Kalkaska community, Toni will retire at the end of April 2008, to take on the roll of full-time caretaker for her husband.

Northern Design Services, Inc., a unique business in the oil and gas industry, was named Business of the Year.

Northern Design researches, designs and builds pressurized vessels from 2-inch to 8-foot diameter pipe, ranging in thickness from 1/4-inch to 2-inch.

In November 2006, owners Dan Minder and Leo Dutton, relocated their company and 12 employees to the old Weatherford Building on Dresden Street.

Moving their business to Kalkaska provided Northern Design the opportunity to double both their workforce and sales just within the past year and now employ more than 20 high skilled welders.

Northern Design's corporate policy is to promote from within and has utilized local initiatives for training new workers in the form of on-the-job training for six of their employees. Moving to Kalkaska made sense for Minder and Dutton knowing that Kalkaska provided a larger workforce to choose from and it was conveniently and centrally located, making transportation less of an issue.

The majority of Northern Design's customer-base isn't found in northern Michigan. Besides Traverse City, Minder and Dutton claim that 70 percent of their customers are from out of the northern Michigan region and half of those customers will be found out-of-state. In addition to bringing outside business into Kalkaska County, the owners intentionally moved into their current location to rehabilitate an abandoned facility and support Kalkaska's economy.

They now occupy a facility that was once considered an environmental hazard with many unknowns. Following the appropriate environmental assessments to cover their bases, Minder and Dutton were given the all clear to move forward to purchase the property and finally relocate. According to the owners, they had foregone nearly six months of business in order to make certain that they were making a safe and wise investment in the Kalkaska community and just for doing so, they were also able to take advantage of a very generous village tax abatement to help get them started.

To date, Northern Designs reportedly has spent upwards of $200,000 on capitol and equipment purchases since relocating and plans are in process for paving and landscaping improvements to further restore their new facility.

Diana Needham was given a special award, presented by the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, Doug Luciani.

Needham currently serves as secretary to the principal at Kalkaska Public School's, Northside Education Center and is also the chair of the National Trout Festival committee. In the past, she has served as a county commissioner, as well as the president and lieutenant governor of Kalkaska Kiwanis.

She has been very involved in helping with the Kiwanis pancake breakfast and other fundraisers benefiting the community. In 2001, Diana and her husband, Terry, were named the 2001 Citizen of the Year award recipients.

Needham also is the past chair of the Greater Kalkaska Area Chamber of Commerce and served the organization for 15 years.

"We want to thank her for your many years of dedication and committed service to this organization and the Kalkaska community," Luciani said.

Diana devotes much of her time to the continued success of the Kalkaska chamber. She was a leading force behind partnering with the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and predicted that the shared resources between the two chambers would only benefit Kalkaska businesses and, in turn, boost Kalkaska's economy.

Rich Studley, executive vice president of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce was the keynote speaker for the event.

As the Michigan chamber's chief lobbyist, Studley is responsible for planning and implementation of the chamber's legislative and communications programs.

Studley also serves as a co-chair of Michigan's Transportation Team, a statewide coalition fighting to strengthen and improve federal transportation funding.

He thanked the people in the room for all they have done.

"You are making a big difference in Kalkaska," he said. "You are to be commended and congratulated in your merger. It expands your reach."