On Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, The Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry (CCCBI) will host its 2023 Annual Awards Dinner from 6:30 PM to 9 PM. The premier awards ceremony of the year will honor The Corporate Citizen of the Year and the Executive of the Year at Longwood Gardens.

The Chamber has two exciting new additions to this year’s dinner: a performance by members of the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band, as well as a fireside chat on leadership with past annual awards honorees: Former Philadelphia Eagles Coach Dick Vermeil and Frances Sheehan, President of the Foundation for Delaware County.

This longstanding Chamber tradition celebrates accomplishments of members throughout the past year, and they are proud to present the 2023 winners.

The CCCBI Corporate Citizen of the Year will be awarded to Independence Blue Cross (Independence). This award recognizes an organization that has taken on a substantial community initiative and has had a major impact on their industry through professional and community involvement. For 85 years, Independence has worked to enhance the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

This commitment includes sponsoring community traditions throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania focused on good health and providing thousands of hours of volunteer assistance each year through the company’s active Blue Crew corporate volunteer program. It also includes supporting grass-roots organizations addressing the greatest health care challenges through the Independence Blue Cross Foundation. In 2023, Independence was named for the third straight year to The Civic 50 Greater Philadelphia, an honor bestowed by the Philadelphia Foundation, in partnership with Points of Light and local partners, to recognize the region’s most community-minded employers.

The CCCBI Executive of the Year will be awarded to Maureen Tomoschuk, President & CEO of Community Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM). This award recognizes a C-Level Executive Leader of a company who has had a significant impact during the year or who has shown steadfast leadership to their company and community on an ongoing basis. Community Volunteers in Medicine provides free medical and dental care, behavioral health services, and medications for low-income, uninsured workers and their families.

Under Tomoschuk’s leadership, it has become a pillar of compassion and dedication to the Chester County community. They have seen an increase in the number of patients seen and the number of volunteers that contribute to the organization’s success. Despite the operating budget being supported entirely by a generous community of philanthropic individuals, foundations, corporations, faith-based organizationsand civic groups, Tomoschuk has led CVIM to financial stability in the pursuit of providing compassionate and quality healthcare.

“This year, as the effects of Covid-19 have been subdued and the business community has resurged, healthcare has never been more important. We are honored to award longtime CCCBI members Independence Blue Cross and Maureen Tomoschuk. Both recipients have shown their dedication to the Chester County community and region through their extensive efforts to provide affordable and high-quality healthcare services and health insurance to patients and customers,” said Laura Manion, president of CCCBI.

This year’s award ceremony will feature a performance by members of the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band. On Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, the band will become the first marching band within the PASSHE system to march in the iconic 135th Rose Parade.

Each year, the Tournament of Roses Association selects a small number of bands from a large pool of international applicants to perform in the Rose Parade that precedes college football’s Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California. An annual tradition for more than 130 years, the Rose Parade has a television viewership of over 25 million people and a live attendance of about 700,000.

Tickets are $250 for CCCBI Members and $275 for non-members. CCCBI will be offering a Member Small Business Ticket price of $175. A CCCBI Small Business qualifies as ten employees or less. Thank you to the 2023 Presenting Sponsor, Constellation! For additional sponsorship opportunities, please email CCCBI Vice President – Operations & Events, Julie Varga at julie@chescochamber.org.

Additional event details and ticket information is available at Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry.