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Individuals, businesses and industries that helped make Union County a better place to live during the past year will be honored Thursday evening at The Union County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Members Banquet.

Chamber Executive Director Torance Inman said Tuesday that the banquet, which will be held at 7 p.m. in the Tabernacle Baptist Church Family Life Center, will feature an address by Dean Hybl, executive director of Ten At The Top.

“Ten At The Top is an organization that has created a shared Upstate growth vision for the 10 counties of the Upstate,” Inman said. “Union County has representation on the Ten At The Top board of directors and executive committee. Mr. Hybl will be here to share with us the vision and where we go from here.”

The highlight of the evening will be the awards presentation in which the chamber recognizes the individuals, businesses and industries whose actions have improved the quality of life in Union County.

“We will recognize individuals and businesses that have contributed to Union County over the past year,” Inman said. “The honorees are individuals and groups nominated by chamber members and selected by a nominating committee composed of elected chamber board members. We will recognize the Industry of the Year, the Small Business of the Year, the Volunteer of the Year, and present the Community Service Award.”

Inman said the banquet will also recognize the young men and women of the Youth Leadership Union County Class of 2012. The program takes 16 Union County High School students and trains them for leadership in a variety of areas including local and state government, economic development, health and human services, education, law enforcement, and parks and recreation. The students are selected for the program by their teachers and school counselors.

The banquet will also feature an address by Inman and by Frank Hart, president of the chamber’s board of directors. Inman said he and Hart will speak on the chamber’s accomplishments and its initiatives for the coming year.

For more information about Thursday’s banquet and awards ceremony call the Union County Chamber of Commerce at 427-9039.