Other Nominees Large Business of the Year: American Eagle Distributing; Aspen House Memory Care Assisted Living; Madwire Media.
Small Business of the Year: Fred's Used Websites; Grow Secure Insurance and Financial Services; Perfect Square.
Heart Award: Jean Cannon, Aspen House Memory Care Assisted Living; Jerry Helgeson, American Eagle Distributing; Maryjo Morgan, Fred's Used Websites.
Nonprofit of the Year: Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center; House of Neighborly Service; Realities for Children.
Young Professional of the Year: David Eads; Leah Johnson; Janie Rocek.

The Loveland Chamber of Commerce shined a spotlight on some of its stars Friday night at the organization's annual dinner.
The chamber honored local companies and businesspeople with awards and acknowledged the passing of the gavel from outgoing chairman Dave Clark to new chairman Nathan Klein.

Playing the event's Hollywood theme to the hilt, the chamber had starlets lead the award winners to the stage with theme music playing in the background. Searchlights swept over the ceiling and walls, and the winning table decoration by Perfect Square's John Metcalf featured Lego mockups of the Hollywood hillside sign and Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

George Hayes, CEO
Large business of the year honors went to Medical Center of the Rockies.
Last year, Loveland's other hospital, McKee Medical Center, won the award, which is determined by a vote of chamber members and a selection committee.
"It is a privilege to be in the same category as the others who were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community tonight," MCR president and CEO George Hayes said in a press release after the event. "We are honored and proud to call Loveland home."
The press release pointed out that the 166-bed hospital had a big year in 2012,      when it celebrated its fifth anniversary, launched its Air Link medical air transportation service, opened a new rehab unit and saw its parent company partner with the University of Colorado Hospital to form University of Colorado Health.

The small business of the year award, given to a company with 25 or fewer employees, went to Top Line Growth, the local franchise of Sandler Training.
John Geiman opened the Loveland office in January 2005, and Don Overcash joined him as partner in 2009.  The company provides sales and management training and ongoing reinforcement to companies as small as one-person startups and as large as water quality product maker
"Their success is our success," Geiman said in an interview.
Geiman said he and Overcash belong to six chambers of commerce in the area. "We really love chambers because they represent businesses."
Overcash said Sandler has about 250 offices in 25 countries and wins awards every year for being the best franchise in its category.
Deanna Sloat, Guaranty Bank

Deanna Sloat, a loan portfolio manager at Guaranty Bank, won the Heart Award, which honors a person who displays selflessness and compassion for the community.
Sloat's list of volunteer efforts includes helping the Hearts & Horses therapeutic riding program with its annual gala, serving on the Santa Cops board for Larimer County, working on Relay For Life and helping put on the Larimer County Sheriff's Posse junior rodeo. "They're all such worthy causes close to my heart," she said.    


Judy Chapman
The McKee Medical Center Foundation was named nonprofit of the year.
Foundation representative Judy Chapman accepted the award for the organization, which raises money for the hospital and its programs in the community.
"This is such a charitable community; to be recognized this way is such an honor," Chapman said.


Nicole Yost, founder and president of Loveland-based Fyn Public Relations, won young professional of the year honors.
Nicole Yost
The award goes to members of the chamber's young-professionals group, Stir Loveland. Yost said she has been involved with the chamber and with Stir

since September 2009, when she came to Loveland. She started her PR agency in October 2011.  She said being involved in Stir is important to her. "I truly believe that Loveland has an exceptional mix of young professionals who are truly making a difference today and preparing Loveland for an exciting future."

Also Friday night, Noreen Flood of Daily Money Solutions was named Ambassador of the Year, and Maryjo Morgan of Fred's Used Websites won Rookie Ambassador of the Year.