Nominations open for second annual Vernon County Awards Banquet

The Vernon County Development Department announced this week that nominations are open for the second annual Vernon County Awards, an event dedicated to celebrating the businesses, individuals and organizations that make our community so vibrant.

Last year was the first year of the event and winners included:

• Small Business of the Year – The Daily Brew, Westby
• Large Business of the Year – Vernon Communications Cooperative
• Emerging Business of the Year – Saddle-Up Coffee & Ice Cream Ontario
• Person of the Year – Kimberlee Verbsky, Hillsboro
• Volunteer of the Year – Brandie Myhre – volunteer for Music in Parks, Live in Viroqua, Driftless Music Festival and photographer extraordinaire
• Non-profit of the Year – Driftless Curiosity, Viola; 5-12 Educator of the Year – Ev Wick, Prairie View, De Soto
• Rising Educator of the Year – Alex Mazur, Viroqua Area Schools band teacher
• Special Educator of the Year – Jamie Gates, Hillsboro School
• Event of the Year – Vernon County National Night Out
• People’s Choice Award – Tabby Town USA

This year’s awards banquet will take place on Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at Pedretti’s Party Barn, just outside Viroqua.

Nominations are now open and will be accepted from Aug. 12 to Sept. 12. There will be several new award categories this year, including:

• Youth Leadership Award: Recognizing the achievements of young leaders in our community.
• Partnership for Progress: Honoring collaborative efforts that drive positive change.
• Heritage Preservation and Cultural Development Award: Celebrating efforts to preserve and enrich our local culture and history.
• Resilience Award: Highlighting individuals or organizations that have demonstrated exceptional resilience and adaptability in Vernon County.

In addition to these new awards, popular categories from the first awards banquet will be featured as well, including several business awards and a People’s Choice award.

“This event is such a fun opportunity to come together and celebrate the greatness within our community,” said Larkin Breckel, Vernon County Economic Development and Marketing Coordinator. “The Vernon County Awards are not just about recognizing outstanding achievements; they are also about fostering connections and collaboration across the county. It’s a wonderful opportunity to unite, appreciate, and inspire one another.”

To nominate candidates, or to find more information, including the newly designed user-friendly nomination form, please visit https://invernoncounty.com/vernon-county-awards-banquet.