The South Shelby Chamber of Commerce’s Diamond Awards recognized those among us who have worked hardest to strengthen our county’s economy.

Honorees included Peg Hill, the Ambassador of the Year; Make You New, the New Business of the Year; New Leaf Design, the Business of the Year; and Bob Wanninger, the Citizen of the Year.

All these citizens and businesses have toiled to keep this county moving forward and growing.

Peg Hill has given tremendously of herself and her time throughout the years to contribute to Shelby County. She is a member of the Shelby County Board of Education, the former principal of Elvin Hill Elementary School and one of the best-known and best-loved citizens of Columbiana and the county.

Make You New was founded by Andrea Lewis, who is a South Shelby Chamber of Commerce Ambassador and is on the board of directors for the Birmingham Society of Human Resource Management. Make You New focuses on personal coaching and helping women market and brand themselves.

Business of the Year New Leaf Design, founded by Chuck and Carla Watkins, offers a variety of services, including design, printing, photography, video, Internet services and photo editing.

Citizen of the Year Bob Wanninger played a huge part in Chelsea’s incorporation as a city and serves on several city boards today. He co-founded the city’s museum and carries out many other public service duties in Chelsea.

When he was named Citizen of the Year, he said it was a surprise to him — but we’re sure it wasn’t a surprise to anyone else.

Each of these businesses and individuals deserves this prestigious honor. We congratulate them on winning the Diamond Awards and look forward to seeing what they continue to do to help further Shelby County.

We also thank the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce for finding a way to honor Shelby County’s best and brightest. Without the Diamond Awards, some truly great work would go unappreciated.

The We Say is the opinion of the Shelby County Reporter editorial board.