2022 Mel Bedwell Small Business Person of the Year Award Luncheon

Join us for the 29th presentation of the Mel Bedwell Small Businessperson of the Year Award at our annual luncheon presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners on Wednesday, May 18, during Small Business Month. 

The Mel Bedwell Small Business Person of the Year Award luncheon honors an outstanding small business person in Cleveland and Bradley County for their success in six areas: staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales, innovativeness of product or service offered, response to adversity, and evidence of contributions to the community. 

The Chamber board of directors renamed the Small Business Person of the Year Award to honor the memory of Mel Bedwell, who was known for his energy, determination, ingenuity, honesty, enthusiasm and loyalty—all traits necessary for a successful small business owner.

Our special guest speaker for the event will be former U.S. Senator Bob Corker. Mr. Corker is a successful businessman, former United States Senator, and was previously named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. Corker represented Tennesseans in the Senate from 2007-2018, where he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and became a national and global thought leader on fiscal, financial, and foreign policy issues.

He was Tennessee’s commissioner of finance and mayor of Chattanooga before being elected to the Senate, After an extensive public service career, in January of 2019, Corker returned to business. He currently serves as chairman of Rise Ventures, a joint venture between the Corker Group and Rise Partners and is a special advisor to Jefferies Financial Group, a global investment banking firm. He also serves as Co-Chair of One to One Health and is on the advisory boards for several philanthropic and policy-focused organizations. Corker and his wife, Elizabeth, call Chattanooga home.

Members who would like to use available admission credits should call the Chamber office at 423-472-6587 to register.