2026 Annual Meeting & Awards Cocktail Reception
Thursday, October 15th, 2026, 5-7 PM
Purity Spring Resort's King Pine Ski Area, East Madison, NH
The MWV Chamber's Annual Meeting and Awards is an annual celebration of our business community and the individuals who make it thrive. It includes a cocktail reception, a presentation on the Chamber's year-in-review, and the presentation of 3 prestigious awards.
Premier Sponsors
2026 Award Winners
White Mountains Treasure Awards
sponsored by MaineHealth Memorial Hospital
Awarded to individuals who have given a lifetime of effort and talent to the Mt. Washington Valley. Recipients exemplify that success is not measured by what you accomplish in life for yourself, but by what you do for others and your community.
Lori Jean Kinsey
For more than four decades, Lori Jean Kinsey has dedicated her career to connecting people with the natural world and strengthening environmental education and conservation throughout the Mt. Washington Valley. Lori joined Tin Mountain Conservation Center in 1984 as its first full-time staff member and has served in nearly every foundational role at the organization, including Teacher/Naturalist, Education and Camp Director, and Executive Director since 2017. Over 42 years, her passion for natural science, land conservation and hands-on education has influenced generations of students, campers, families, educators and community members. Her contributions have helped Tin Mountain expand its research programs and develop initiatives such as the Accessible Nature Trail. Her work was recognized nationally in 2008 when L.L.Bean presented her with its first “Outdoor Hero” award. Lori’s legacy can be found not only in Tin Mountain’s programs, but throughout the landscape and community she has spent a lifetime serving. The organization credits her dedication, vision and leadership with helping shape generations of people who understand and care for the natural world, and the 73acre Lori Jean Kinsey Arboretum and Sanctuary at Tin Mountain’s Albany campus provides a fitting, lasting recognition of that impact. Her career represents the kind of sustained commitment the White Mountains Treasure Award was created to honor: a lifetime of sharing her knowledge, time and talent to make Mt. Washington Valley a better place. After more than 40 years spent inspiring curiosity, cultivating stewardship and helping people forge their own connection to the outdoors, Lori Jean Kinsey’s influence will continue to be felt in the Valley for generations to come.
Roy Prescott
For nearly five decades, Roy Prescott has been a familiar voice, enthusiastic champion and positive force in the Mt. Washington Valley. Roy first came to the Valley in 1978. Roy’s longtime passion for broadcasting and music eventually brought him to WMWV full time. He began hosting The Blues Summit in 1999 and went on to become the station’s regular daytime DJ, becoming the “wakeup voice” for generations of Valley residents and visitors. His deep knowledge and enthusiasm for music, particularly the blues, have become hallmarks of his broadcasting career, but it is his genuine love for the Valley and the people who call it home that has made his impact so enduring. Roy has used the reach of the radio not simply to entertain, but to bring people together and rally the community behind countless local organizations, events and causes. For 25 years he has hosted the White Mountain Oil Brat-fest, along with supporting the Mount Washington Observatory’s Seek the Peak fundraiser, Theater in the Wood, Arts Jubilee, Jen’s Friends, the Schneider Cup and many more. His annual day-long broadcast from the Vaughan Community Center helped raise $50,000 for the food pantry last year alone. Whether behind the microphone, serving as an emcee, competing in a charity event or encouraging listeners to get involved, Roy has turned his profession into a platform for strengthening the community. The White Mountains Treasure Award recognizes someone who has dedicated a lifetime of time and talent to the Mt. Washington Valley, and Roy Prescott embodies that spirit. His enthusiasm for the Valley lifestyle is infectious, his compassion for his neighbors is genuine, and his ability to inspire people to participate has enriched the community for decades.
Business Awards
sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental
Employer of the Year: HEB Engineers
HEB Engineers has created a workplace where meaningful work, professional growth and a fulfilling life outside the office don’t have to compete with one another. Guided by its mission “to empower their people to positively impact their clients and communities,” HEB gives employees the opportunity to work on projects that directly shape the places where they live, work and play. Just as importantly, the firm supports employees in becoming active members of those communities, providing paid volunteer time for personal nonprofit involvement and company-sponsored service. Competitive compensation, profit sharing, employee ownership and comprehensive benefits provide stability, while financial support for continuing education, licensure, certifications and apprenticeships—along with paid professional development—demonstrate an investment in employees from the very beginning of their careers with HEB. That commitment extends to a culture built on trust, flexibility and genuine work-life balance. HEB has intentionally created an office people want to be part of, with staff outings, birthday gatherings, volunteer opportunities and traditions like its company sponsored Cranmore Mountain Meisters team bringing coworkers together during the workday rather than at the expense of their personal time. The result is a workplace where employees feel trusted as professionals, supported as people and connected to both their coworkers and their community. For creating an environment where people can build rewarding careers without sacrificing the lives they’ve chosen to build in the Valley, HEB Engineers is a deserving recipient of the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Employer of the Year Award.
Entrepreneur of the Year: Jordon Hewson, Designed Gardens Flower Studio
Since founding Designed Gardens in North Conway in 1999, Jordon has built a highly respected landscape design business while continually finding new ways to grow, evolve, and bring her creativity to the community. That entrepreneurial vision led to the creation of DG Flower Studio, a full-service floral and retail destination in North Conway Village offering custom floral design, specialty plants, locally made gifts, workshops, and more. Her recent expansion and relocation of the shop reflect the same willingness to invest, innovate, and create something distinctive that has defined her career for more than two decades. Jordon’s impact, however, extends far beyond her businesses. Through her involvement with the North Conway Village Association and North Conway Beautification Committee, her work creating and maintaining the seasonal planters throughout downtown, educational programs like the Petal Pals workshop series, and her efforts to support the next generation of floral designers, Jordon has consistently invested her talents back into the Mt. Washington Valley. Her creativity has literally helped make North Conway more beautiful, while her energy, mentorship, and commitment to the community have made it stronger. For her sustained business success, entrepreneurial spirit, extraordinary creativity, and lasting contributions to the Valley, we congratulate Jordon Hewson, the 2026 Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year.
Steve Eastman Community Service Award
The Eaton Village Preservation Society, Kevin Flynn and Jen Kovach
Named in honor of late Mountain Ear and Mud Bowl co-founder Steve Eastman (1949-2008) the award is presented to a person or organization that exemplifies Eastman’s community values during his more than 30 years as a citizen of Mount Washington Valley. Founded as a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) in 2004 to purchase and save the landmark Eaton Village Store as the heartbeat of the tiny lakeside village, the EVPS over the years has undertaken several other civic projects over the years. They purchased the old town vault in 2020 and most recently raised $500,000 in 30 days this past August from contributions to purchase 116 acres targeted for logging on Lyman Mountain. That “Save the View” purchase was made to protect the renowned viewshed of Crystal Lake and the Little White Church and the lake’s watershed. Contributions came from EVPS members and contributors from throughout the region as well as Canada and the United Kingdom. Other board members include Flynn’s daughter, Caitlin Flynn (daughter Maggie Flynn and husband Reaves Black are the current lessees of the store and breakfast/lunch counter and Black runs the post office for the EVPS); Kevin Conklin, Cindy Hall, Peter Klose and Dale Schonfeld. Upcoming projects include purchasing new grilles for the town beach area. They also present Eaton Fest as a fundraiser every other year and host the town’s annual Fourth of July beach picnic celebration. The EVPS is open to all with annual dues. For more, go to eatonvillagepreservation.org.
Reception Sponsors
Interested in becoming a 2027 sponsor? Contact chris@visitmwv.com.