The president of First National Bank Bemidji and former president of the Chamber of Commerce won the annual Charlie Naylor Lifetime Achievement award during the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Celebration.

Tom Welle was announced as the recipient for the prestigious award. He has been a volunteer and advocate for the Bemidji community over the years. The award recognizes individuals in the community that live by Charlie’s values of entrepreneurial thinking. Many local businesses gathered at the Hampton Inn and Suites South Shore Conference Center for the 112th celebration. The celebration recognizes local businesses and chamber members.

“It’s a night where we celebrate what the chamber has done in the past year, we promote local business, and how our members are impacting the Bemidji community, and it’s just a fantastic evening to talk about what the chamber has for the upcoming year,” said Ashley Johnson, Incoming Chair for the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber’s main focus next year is advocacy and giving businesses a local voice.

By — Malaak Khattab

News Reporter