Community Leaders receive prestigious awards at Chamber – Main Street Annual Meeting
The Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street-Tourism
Bureau announced recipients of its annual community awards on Thursday, February 26
at the Beau Rivage during the Ocean Springs Chamber-Main Street’s Annual meeting. The
City of Ocean Springs and Ocean Springs Chamber-Main Street honored outstanding
community members who have made an extraordinary contribution in service, economic
development, and quality of life to the community in 2025.
Awards were given in the following categories: Educator of the Year, Volunteer of the
Year, Restaurant of the Year, Retailer of the Year, Ambassador of the Year,
Entrepreneurship and Heritage & Legacy of the Year, Ocean Springs First Responder of the
Year, and 2025 Board Chairman recognition. The winners were:
Board Chairman, Jeff Shepard
Ambassador of the Year, Mark Laville, Primerica Financial
Volunteer of the Year, Ocean Springs Library
First Responder of the Year- Police, Captain Brian Kestner
First Responder of the Year- Fire, Chief Archie Fitch
Restaurant of the Year, Italian Garden
Retailer of the Year, Coastal Magpie
Entrepreneur of the Century, Fred Moran
Heritage & Legacy Award, Jeff O’Keefe/Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home
Educator of the Year, Allison Dawson
The awards were presented by Chamber-Main Street CEO, Cynthia Sutton and Mayor
Bobby Cox.
The 2025 banquet was sponsored by Bob Boyte, Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Homes,
Broussard Mechanical, Citizens Bank, City of Ocean Springs, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Jackson
County Board of Supervisors, Keesler Federal Credit Union, Lemon Mohler, Merchants &
Marine Bank, Mississippi Power Company, Singing River Health System, Taggart Law
Group, and Navigator Credit Union.
For more information, please contact the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce – Main
Street – Tourism Bureau at 228-875-4424 and visit www.oceanspringschamber.com.
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ABOUT OCEAN SPRINGS MAIN STREET
Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street-Tourism Bureau is a three-tier, non-profit organization created in 1947 that promotes tourism, preservation, community vitality and local culture. In 1989, Ocean Springs became a national main street community. Today, the Ocean Springs Chamber– Main Street – Tourism Bureau located in the heart of downtown not only serves to promote and preserve, but also informs as the official town visitors center. Ocean Springs Main Street is a recipient of the 2013 Great American Main Street Award and voted as “One of America’s Most Charming Main Streets” for 2024.