As she accepted the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce’s Employee of the Year Award, she shared some very exciting news with her fellow nominees and award winners.
“I just want to thank whoever nominated me because nobody will fess up,” said the almost 25-year veteran employee of Key Murray Law as she accepted her award. "This just put the icing on the cake... because there was a group of us at our office that were bigger winners today. We won $100,000 on the TAG.”
The news electrified the room, which erupted into a resounding round of applause, just one of the highlights of an exciting evening where excellence in business was recognized.
The awards night was different than in recent years, with a Golden Globes feel, with Hollywood-style lighting, a sit down meal with presenters reading each award’s nominees followed by a video and, with opening of the envelope, the revelation of each winner, who was ushered to the stage with music and the spotlight solely on them.
“I feel like there should be a drum roll,” said Chamber member Aaron Jackson, as he was about to reveal MacKinnon as one of the night’s big winners.
There were eight categories in total — Rising Star, Business Excellence 11+, Innovator of the Year, Employee of the year, Community Impact, Business Excellence 1-10, People’s Choice and New Business of the Year.
“The award is presented to a business or organization that demonstrates the clear understanding of the needs of its clients base and provides them in a meaningful way, has adapted solid business principles to develop a firm business foundation, and has developed a loyal customer base,” read past award winner Moyna Murphy-Matheson, whose business, Samuel’s Coffee House, won the People’s Choice Award.
Sean Aylward, like the name of his downtown barbershop, was humble in accepting the trophy for New Business of the Year.
“It is a great community to be a part of, the downtown and just all of the Summerside business community,” said the owner of The Humble Barber. “I see a lot of new friends made through the shop here and a lot of friends I made just through the Chamber as well. Thanks for having me.”
Norma Profit-McNeill, long-time owner-operator of the Tickle Trunk and EDGE 215, was recognized as the Chamber’s Innovator of the Year.
Born and raised in Summerside, the soft-spoken woman said growing up in a big family taught her about community.
“That feeling of community is what drew me to have businesses in Downtown Summerside and I can’t even tell you how touched I have been over the years to see the amount of support that Summerside gives a local business,” Profit-McNeil told the room of her peers. “It makes me so proud to say I am part of this community.”
And the winners are...
— Rising Star — Mark Hickey, Hickey & Hyndman
— Business Excellence 11+ — Prestige Kitchens
— Innovator of the Year — EDGE 251 (Gordon’s Men’s Wear)
— Employee of the Year — Mona MacKinnon, Key Murray Law
— Community Impact — Prince County Hospital Foundation
— Business Excellence 1-10 — Enman’s Audio Video Unlimited
— New Business of the Year — The Humble Barber
— People’s Choice — Samuel’s Coffee House