The Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 2020 small business awards recipients with a Nov. 12 luncheon at The Bleckley Station that featured S.C. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette as the keynote speaker.
Annual Chamber awards given for small business are Small Business of the Year, Pillar of Anderson, ATHENA Award and Young ATHENA Award.
Small Business of the Year
Sullivan’s Metropolitan Grill was named Small Business of the Year, with Owner and Executive Chef Bill Nickas accepting the award. Nickas dedicated the award to his wife and business partner, Sabra, who passed away in November 2019 after a battle with breast cancer.
Sullivan’s opened on Main Street in Anderson in February 1999 and has since received a string of accolades including a glowing review on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in 2001 and two features in Southern Living magazine. The fine dining restaurant also has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and Triple Diamond Ratings for many consecutive years.
Pillar of Anderson Award
The Pillar of Anderson Award went to Anderson University. Founded as Johnson University in 1848, the college was re-established in 1911 as Anderson College. It became Anderson University in 2006 and was the 19th fastest-growing private master’s university in the country from 2006 to 2016, more than doubling its enrollment during the decade.
Today, Anderson University offers 59 major degree programs, 38 concentrations, 46 minors, 18 master’s and doctoral degrees and 8 certification programs. In 2020, the university announced a new College of Engineering program set to enroll its first class in 2021.
U.S. News & World Report for 2020 named Anderson as one of the “Best Value” schools among regional universities in the south, and the Wall Street Journal named it #27 for best student engagement among all universities in the United States.
Young Athena Award
Jordan Christian, Regional Director at the U.S. House of Representatives, received the Young Athena Award, a nationwide program of Athena International designed to honor women who strive toward their highest level of accomplishment and leadership.
A 2009 graduate of Clemson University with a bachelor’s in political science, Christian has been recognized as an Anderson Rising Young Professional.
Athena Award
Hollie Harrell, Director at Anderson I & II Career and Technology Center, received the Anderson Chamber’s 2020 Athena Award. A graduate of Furman University in Greenville, Harrell was named director of Anderson 1 & 2 Career and Technology Center in July 2013 after serving as assistant director for 11 years.
Anderson I & II Career and Technology Center serves approximately 2000 students from Belton-Honea Path, Palmetto, Powdersville and Wren High Schools, offering 20 program areas.
