Celebrating the Cream of the Crop
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The cream of the local business crop gathered Nov. 9 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel – Pittsburgh-Meadow Lands to celebrate the Best of the Best.
More than 600 individuals representing 164 different categories attended the gala awards ceremony presented by the Observer-Reporter. The Best of the Best Awards celebrated the best businesses, organizations, people and more that the residents of Washington and Greene counties thought deserved the distinction of best in their respective category.
“As a media company, we recognized that we have a unique and eclectic group of businesses and business owners in our market and we were looking for a way to honor them. In Best of the Best, we found that. This inaugural awards gala celebrated their successes and we’re proud to be a part of that,” Matt Miller, vice president and chief revenue officer for the Observer Publishing Company, said.
Nominations were accepted July 23 through Aug. 6, 2017, and voting occurred Sept.3 through Sept. 17. The top three vote-getters in each category were recognized at the invite-only gala awards ceremony. A special section was published in the Observer-Reporter on Nov. 10 that announced the winners to the public.
For many attendees, simply being nominated was validation enough. Scott Becker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, said regardless of the outcome, his organization was just happy to be recognized. The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum won in two categories: Best Museum and Best Local Attraction.
“(The awards) mean a lot,” Becker said. “Our volunteers and staff work so hard to provide a quality experience. The community’s support confirms that what we have is important.”
Tripp Kline, co-chair of the Whiskey Rebellion, which won Best Event and Best Local Event, echoed Becker’s sentiments.
“What I came away with from the night’s festivities, that there were 400,000 votes and 11,000 unique voters, that kind of validation from the community is very meaningful.”
Becker and Kline were also pleasantly surprised to see so many downtown Washington businesses represented.
“It really showed the vitality of the economy in Washington County,” Becker said.
Tom Northrop, president and publisher of Observer Publishing Company, said the Best of the Best provided a perfect backdrop to let Washington and Greene County businesses shine. He said the media company plans to continue the contest next year.
“The evening was a remarkable display of community and excitement,” he said. “It showed us just how vibrant Washington and Greene counties truly are.”
Michael “MJ” Markley, winner of the Person of the Year for his work with the Harmony Life Center, said the event exceeded his expectations.
“It was mind blowing,” Markley said of the evening, which featured live entertainment, a strolling feast and red carpet. “It brought the whole community together. It was very positive for our community, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it.”