By Robert J. Hansen | OBSERVER Staff Writer

The Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce held its 129th annual business awards ceremony in front of about 1,000 people Jan. 19 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Sacramento. 

Chamber CEO Robert Heidt Jr. said he is excited about leading the chamber and wants to see the Sacramento community thrive.

“I am honored to be leading the Metro Chamber, a prominent champion for business, an organization with a rich history of representing the heart and soul of California’s capital region since 1895,” Heidt said.

Darrell Teat, the outgoing chamber board chair, said this past year was full of growth and opportunity that has set a strategic path for forward momentum.

“The success of any board chair is always tied to the dedication and hard work of his or her board and executive members,” Teat said. “It’s been my privilege to serve alongside so many talented and hardworking individuals.”

The evening honorees included the following:

Dr. Nkiruka Catherine Ohaegbu, Metro Edge Young Professional Of The Year

Ohaegbu serves as program director for Capitol Impact, supporting several business and policy initiatives by drawing on her experience in public affairs, consulting, strategic planning, and operations.

Over the past decade, Dr. Ohaegbu has collaborated extensively with leaders from many industries in the business, nonprofit, state, and federal government sectors. She established Adaptive Strategies Consulting, providing expertise in public policy, advocacy, and strategic planning. She previously worked for PG&E in public affairs, government relations, and enterprise project governance roles.

United Way California Capital Region, Centennial Business Agency Of The Year

United Way board member Dawnte Early-West said partnerships among local and state government and nonprofits supercharges the organization’s impact on the community.

“I want to be a part of that change,” Early-West said. “I spoke the language of government and I knew that I could be on the front lines working hand and hand [with community members]. Our mission is to end poverty in the Sacramento region.”

United Way California Capital Region has served Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties since its founding in 1923. The local United Way’s Square One approach to ending poverty is grounded in a public health model and uses a threefold strategy to address community needs from birth and beyond helping kids excel in school, investing in families, and strengthening schools.

The OBSERVER, Small Business Of The Year

Since Larry Lee took over management of The OBSERVER from his father, William, who passed away in 2019, he has established his vision for the organization, reimagining what a media outlet can be in the 21st century. Transforming a publication founded 60 years ago, Lee has embraced technology that allows The OBSERVER to continue to be innovative, fresh and exciting while covering issues of importance to the African American community.

“During COVID, more than 300 newspapers went out of business; 6,000 journalists lost their jobs. It is a challenging industry but I think we’ve been good stewards of what we have,” Lee said.

Quirina Orozco, Al Geiger Memorial Award

Orozco, West Sacramento’s mayor pro tem, was elected to the City Council in 2016. She is its longest-serving woman in the city’s history and has served as vice mayor for four separate terms.

Orozco is a child abuse prosecutor for Sacramento County, where she has spent most of her career prosecuting crimes involving the sexual and physical abuse of young children. She has instructed courses on prosecuting child abuse cases through the California District Attorneys Association and the national Crimes Against Children Conference, and is passionately committed to achieving justice for victims of crime.

“I am just absolutely grateful to use the lens that I have over specific communities that have historically been disenfranchised to provide the voice for the unheard,” Orozco said.

Garry Maisel, Sacramentan Of The Year

Maisel, president of Western Health Advantage, said folks thought he was crazy for trying to start a health plan in a very crowded market.

Western Health focuses on improving health care access and affordability and is well known for developing innovative programs to expand coverage to the uninsured. It currently provides medical coverage to more than 110,000 members in the Sacramento and North Bay regions.

Allison Otto, Businesswoman Of The Year

“Being a woman in a predominantly male industry had its challenges but, fortunately, my grandfather and my dad paved the way for anyone to succeed,” Otto said.

Otto continues a 76-year family legacy of doing business in Sacramento as president and CEO of Otto Construction Inc. She joined the company in 2000 as marketing director and was promoted in 2019 to executive vice president. She was appointed president and CEO in 2021.

David Lowe, Businessman Of The Year

Lowe has led KVIE since 2008 and has the longest service of any president in the PBS station’s 60-plus year history. He joined the station in 2001 as a vice president. His prior experience includes positions with a Fortune 500 company, a publicly traded software company, and a venture capital-backed software start-up.

“We’ve had to fight for every piece of recognition and funding that we could get. If you think about where KVIE started, we were a black and white channel,” Lowe said. “Now, with cable, we’re on satellite and now internet and have a reason for being here.”

Tiffani Scott and Mark Haney, Entrepreneurs Of The Year

Haney is a successful entrepreneur, media personality and angel investor with a portfolio of more than 50 Sacramento-based companies across industries including new media, tech and consumer products, real estate, construction, transportation, distribution and security. 

Haney has turned his attention and resources to helping the next generation of entrepreneurs succeed. He is founding partner of the Growth Factory, an early-stage venture capital fund and a nonprofit accelerator, on a mission to bring to Sacramento 100 new start-ups in the next three to five years.

Scott manages an executive team and a staff of nearly 100 for Paratransit Inc., which delivers programs to numerous social service agencies and the public. These include transportation initiatives that enhance mobility and access, programs that address food insecurity and health care access, and the delivery of nearly 2.5 million meals.