Chamber Awards Local Businesses and Professionals
Front Row (left to right): Ben Rider of Rider Jet Center, Don Bowman, Dr. Shawn Wilson, DVM of Mountain View Animal Emergency, and Chief Robert Buck of Community Rescue Service, Inc. Back Row (left to right): Aaron House, AIA of Bushey Feight Morin Architects, Inc., Brittany Wedd, F. Christian Wright IV
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce hosted its 27th Annual Business Awards event on February 25 at The Maryland Theatre. More than 460 community members and local businesses leaders were on hand to help honor this year’s winners.
At Your Service award: Rider Jet Center is a full-service fixed-base operator at Hagerstown Regional Airport known for its customer approach, premium amenities, and on-site jet and propeller aircraft maintenance at South Mountain Aviation.
Small Nonprofit of the Year: Hagerstown Home Store offers housing counseling and educational programs to help people navigate buying and owning homes. They offer homebuyer education, budgeting help, fair housing info, landlord/tenant guidance, and federally assisted housing resources.
Large Nonprofit of the Year: Community Rescue Service, Inc. provides essential emergency medical services to Washington County with a strong commitment to professionalism, reliability, and public safety. Through highly trained personnel, modern equipment, and coordinated response efforts, CRS ensures timely, high-quality care while maintaining a steadfast dedication to the community it serves.
Small Business of the Year: One Room Media provides video and photo production, digital marketing, and advertising services for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. It is most known for its community video series highlighting mom-and-pop restaurants and events, which are used to help raise money for various nonprofits and community efforts.
Medium Business of the Year: Bushey Feight Morin Architects, Inc. was founded in 1968 and is known for state-of-the-art design, personal service, and attention to detail. Recent community projects of note include the HCC Bowman Family Workforce Training Center and the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. BFM Architects donated full architectural services for the design and construction of the new Boys and Girls Club and Doey’s House.
Large Business of the Year: Mountain View Animal Emergency has provided compassionate emergency care for dogs and cats in the tristate area since 2008. It is one of the region’s few privately owned emergency hospitals, operating from a state-of-the-art 16,000-square-foot facility with a specialized surgical department. Mountain View Animal Emergency’s experienced team delivers personalized patient care, exceptional client service, and meaningful community support through charitable outreach.
Young Professional of the Year: Brittany Wedd is the executive director of Children in Need, Inc., where she leads one of Washington County’s largest providers of free essentials for children living in poverty. A recognized nonprofit leader, she has expanded programs, strengthened partnerships, and advanced sustainable growth while serving thousands of local families each year.
Business Person of the Year: F. Christian Wright IV, president of Wright-Gardner Insurance and a longtime civic leader in Washington County. For more than three decades, he has led the $30 million independent insurance agency while helping businesses strengthen safety, manage risk, and reinvest millions back into their operations. Deeply committed to community service, Wright has served on numerous nonprofit and civic boards, including Horizon Goodwill Industries, the YMCA of Hagerstown, the Community Foundation of Washington County, and local arts, education, and youth organizations.
Legacy Award: The second-ever recipient was Donald “Don” M. Bowman. What began as Bowman’s desire to drive trucks and tractor-trailers ultimately became a profound legacy here in Washington County. He is the chairman and president of the Bowman Group, LLC, which offers a wide range of services from the trucking industry to real estate development, and includes D.M. Bowman, Inc., Bowman Development Corporation, Bowman Hospitality, Bowman Truck Leasing, Bowman Trailer Leasing, and Bowman Logistics. The success of these businesses has funded the Jone L. Bowman Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting capital projects in Washington County.
Bowman has had a resounding positive impact on Washington County throughout his life, and has provided many local individuals with job opportunities, as the eighth largest employer in the area.