Turnage, Parsons, MALU Fitness Honored at Antioch Chamber Inaugural Gala

On Friday the Antioch Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Inaugural Gala at the Lone Tree Golf Course and Event Center which celebrated achievements of local residents and businesses.

Richard Pagano, State Farm Insurance and Chamber Chairman of the Board, said he feels extremely blessed to be here tonight while thanking Sean Wright, Chamber CEO.

“I would like to extend my heart-felt thanks to our CEO Dr. Sean Wright for everything he has done. All of his hard work and dedication. He has a passion not just for our chamber, but the City of Antioch and its citizens. Sean has revitalized and rejuvenated the chamber in ways that we didn’t know possible and taken the chamber to greater heights than ever before. If it were not for Sean’s leadership, I don’t know if the chamber would possess the strength or credibility he has help build. I don’t know if there is another person that could have done what Sean has done for the chamber.”

Pagano also thanked all the Board Members who have worked hard on the mission.

The chamber led me to be more comfortable about my business, myself and it was the chamber that led me to meet a lot of my best friends. It was the chamber that led me to networking groups,” explained Pagano. “Being a member of the chamber has not been just great for me, but for my business. I’d like to thank the entire chamber body for that. The Antioch Chamber of Commerce is doing more than just helping business, as a board, we are working for each of your business, whether large or small, it has your best interest at heart.”

He credited the chamber for working with city government to remove a lot of the red tape that businesses have had to encounter in the past. Meanwhile, he hopes in 2016 to stay the course and expand the efforts throughout the community.

Sean Wright addressed the room saying the Chamber is trying to help all elected officials create the jobs needed to prevent people from having to drive 2-hours to work and 2-hours home.

“We need those jobs right here,” says Wright. “The Antioch Chamber is trying to do everything in our power to create those jobs right here. All we can do is help create the environment to make that happen. The truth is the jobs will come, but we need to create an environment for when they do come that the doors are wide open for them to be able to get through and fast to create jobs.”

Citizen of the Year—Most Impact: Ken Turnage II
Wright announced that Ken Turnage II does not do what he does for these kinds of awards, in fact, he hates to receive these types of accolades and these types of awards.

Ken Turnage and his mom

“He doesn’t like people to really know all of the things he does, “says Wright. “For him to be acknowledged in this way, it makes him nervous. Ken does so many things that he does not ask to be recognized for. When the women’s club had a problem, it was a few phone calls and he was there. He did work that needed to be done. When he took on the Antioch Christmas Lights Parade, he was phenomenal. He went into his back yard built a sleigh, not because anyone asked him to, but because of when he gets involved in something, he wants it to be great. When Ken gets involved in things and he does it out of the kindness of his heart because he loves the community.”

Turnage thanked the Chamber for the recognition but says the reason why he did the things he does was because of his mom.

“My mom taught me as a young child to actually try to do what is right instead of what you want to do and I have to thank her for that,” said Turnage. “The fortunate thing with that is I have a supportive family and am very thankful.”

Citizen of the Year—Lifetime Achievement: Jane Parsons

Jane Parsons

Sean Wright called Jane Parsons an institution in Antioch who served her community as a volunteer and an elected official who first served the city as Treasure in 1983 and went on to win 5-elections before retiring in 2004.

She has also been a 40-year ambassador for the Antioch Chamber and a presence at ribbon cuttings and chamber mixers.

Jane Parsons was grateful to be recognized kept her speech short.

“I am really surprised to get this award and I feel really honored to accept it,” said Parsons.

Small Business of the Year: MALU Fitness

Marcus Malu stated that all he had was a dream and wanting to help student athletes achieve their goals. He said his business was not just for helping athletes, but working to create better people.

“Today I stand here honored and humbled because Antioch we do have something special,” says Marcus Malu. “I want to thank principal Rocha for allowing me to work with his Antioch kids. I want to thank Sean Wright for taking notice for something we are supposed to do. We didn’t get into for awards, I never thought in a million years I would get small business of the year. That was never the goal. The goal was always about helping the kids.”

Award Winners:

• Citizen of the Year–Lifetime Achievement: Jane Parsons
• Citizen of the Year — Most Impact: Ken Turnage II
• Youth of the Year: Treyvon Hall
• Youth of the Year Runner Up: Savannah Vanderzwan
• Youth of the Year Nominated: Aimie McGoldrick (Antioch High School) & Lucas Stuart-Chilcote (DLMHS).
• Large Business of the Year: Sutter Health Medical Center
• Small Business of the Year: M.A.L.U. Fitness
• Non-Profit of the Year: Antioch Rotary
• Ambassador of the Year: Lindana Ivonne Martell
• Chairmans Award: Michele Copeland

Congressman Jerry McNerney spoke at the event highlighting the importance of a strong business community—calling it the “lifeblood of the community”.

“I feel like businesses in this this community are improving and I want to do my part to make it even better. This week, I introduced the COMPLI Act (HR 4719), which addresses the abuse in the Americans with Disability Act where a small number of law firms that sue businesses in a drive by manner for non-compliance by taking large sums of money without ever having to go to court. So what I am doing is under the COMPLI Act, when there is a complaint, it gives a business a 90-day notice before a lawsuit can take place,” said McNerney.

McNerney says his bill will protect small businesses who do not have resources, a legal team and while the ADA laws were done with the best of intentions, some are abusing them.