A NIGHT OF HONORS — Several individuals and businesses were honored at the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner Wednesday at St. Francis Centre. On hand for the occasion were, from left, front, Charlotte Kolenc, who received the chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award; Citizen of the Year Paul Marino and Lynette Carte of Mindset2Wellness, the new business of the year; and back: Chamber President Eric Fithyan, Janna Gordon of the Brooke-Hancock Family Resource Network, nonprofit organization of the year; Liz Schriner of Trinity Health System, business of the year; Jesse Milowicki of the Follansbee Pharmacy, young professional of the year; and West Virginia University Mascot Mikel Hager, who helped present the awards. -- Warren Scott

FOLLANSBEE — During the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner Wednesday, Chamber President Eric Fithyan noted the diversity in the businesses nominated for the organization’s Business of the Year award.

And the same could be said for others honored at the event held at St. Francis Centre.

Named Citizen of the Year was Paul Marino, a board-certified nurse practitioner who has treated, by his estimate, nearly 4,000 patients for a variety of health problems since opening his office, City Family Medicine, in Follansbee in 2021.

He is aided there by his wife, Joy, who serves as office manager, and daughter, Kayla, a licensed practical nurse.

A graduate of West Virginia University and Franciscan University of Steubenville, he worked previously at Trinity Health System and Weirton Medical Center.

He said he was drawn to become a nurse practitioner because it allowed him to provide affordable medical treatment in a state with a shortage of physicians.

A member of the Army Reserve for 25 years, he served as a surveyor in Iraq, in support of Operation Desert Storm; and assisted with pandemic response in Boston.

Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award was Charlotte Kolenc, who served as treasurer for many of her 28 years in the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce as well as being a member and volunteer with the 20th Century Woman’s Club, St. Anthony Catholic Church finance board and United Way.

Through the chamber she was involved in various community activities held in observance of Make a Difference Day and a fundraising effort with Vito’s 2 for an Oklahoma family who lost their home to a tornado in 2013.

A retired longtime WesBanco employee and past recipient of the Citizen of the Year award, Kolenc continues to volunteer with her husband of 53 years, Martin.

Named New Business of the Year was Mindset2Wellness. Based at the Bluewave Center, Lynette Carte and her staff offer a variety of therapeutic services, from counseling to art, yoga and other hands-on activities.

Carte has been a licensed counselor for more than 15 years and has worked with people of various ages throughout the Tri-State Area.

Named Business of the Year was Trinity Health System, which provides an array of medical services to more than 200,000 patients through its two campuses, the Tony Teramana Cancer Center, local physician offices and other facilities.

Fithyan noted Trinity is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system that has provided $4.2 billion in charity care, community benefit and unreimbursed government programs through healthcare facilities in 21 states.

Trinity also has served in recent years as advertising sponsor for Follansbee Christmas in the Park, a yearly festival that raises funds for local causes.

Named Nonprofit Organization of the Year was the Brooke-Hancock Family Resource Network, which has provided services and information to parents in the two counties in many ways, including operating three food pantries, distributing backpacks and other school supplies to more than 1,000 students at its annual back-to-school fair and organizing activities for youth and adults with disabilities or special needs.

Fithyan noted Huela Heceta and others from the FRN’s Brooke County Family Support Center led many children in creative activities during the chamber’s recent Trunk or Treat event.

Named Young Professional of the Year was Jesse Milowicki, owner and manager of the Follansbee Pharmacy. Raised on a 200-acre dairy farm in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Milowicki was the first in his family to pursue a college education.

After graduating from the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, he worked for a pharmacy chain in Arizona for a short time before returning to the tri-state area and joining the Tri-State Medical Group, of which the Follansbee Pharmacy is a part.

Fithyan said Milowicki is known for his compassionate and friendly approach toward customers and has supported the long-time pharmacy’s efforts to save its customers money through information about assistance programs and its own free services, including home delivery.

The pharmacy has been a long-time supporter of Follansbee Community Days and frequent participant of Follansbee Christmas in the Park.

Fithyan noted winners of the citizen of the year, new business of the year and lifetime achievement honors were selected by members of the chamber while an independent committee considered several nominations for each of the other awards.

Acknowledged during the dinner, the other nominees were: Lombardi Development, Main Street Bank, Summer’s Enterprises and Apollo Professional Cleaning and Restoration, for business of the year; the Brooke County Committee on Aging and Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, for nonprofit organization of the year; and Addison Albert, Joey Ewusiak, Alex Schneider and Lauren McKinsie Sproul, for youn professional of the year.

Award recipients and nominees came from the chamber’s membership, which isn’t limited to the city or Brooke County.