On Friday, May 15th, 2026 Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. hosted our annual GGHI Leaders’ Banquet & Business Recognition Awards at Quinault Beach Resort & Casino. It was a wonderful evening celebrating the outstanding businesses, organizations, and individuals who help make Grays Harbor such a strong and vibrant community.
A special thank you goes out to our generous event sponsors for helping make this evening possible: Sierra Pacific Industries, Welcome Sponsor; Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, Dinner Sponsor; Peak Credit Union, Auction Paddle Sponsor; Minuteman Press, Program Sponsor; and CMD Sign & Electric Inc., Banner Sponsor.
We would also like to recognize the dedicated GGHI staff and Ambassadors whose hard work and countless hours brought this event to life.
Staff:
- Candie Gleason, CFO
- Kelsey Williams, Marketing Director
- Loretta Thomas, Director of Business Development
- Chelsey Wright, GGHI Intern
Ambassadors:
- Larry Burgher
- Ashleigh Gleeson
- Darla Johnson
- Kiona Goodman
Congratulations to our 2026 Award Winners:
• Larry Burgher – Ambassador of the Year
• Timber Tails K9 – Best Dressed Table
• Game Freaks – Small Business of the Year
• Ascensus Specialties – Large Business of the Year
• Timber & Targets – New Business of the Year
• YMCA of Grays Harbor – Non-Profit of the Year
• Grays Harbor PUD – Government/Municipality of the Year
• Quinault Nation Enterprises – Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. Member of the Year
How the Award Winners are Determined:
At the start of each year, GGHI pushes out a community-wide business and organization nomination survey where anyone can submit who they think is deserving of each award. These nominations are then collected, their GGHI Membership status is confirmed, and the final gathering of nominees are placed into a second survey. This survey is then sent to the entire GGHI Membership who can cast their votes on who they think is the most deserving. The survey can be taken once by every employee at a GGHI Member business/organization. The results of the survey will then determine the top four nominees per category who are recognized and celebrated prior and during the Leaders’ Banquet before the winner is announced to the crowd and invited on stage to accept their award.
To determine the GGHI Ambassador of the Year, the GGHI staff gather together and cast their votes on who has not only recognized our organization in a positive fashion within the past year, but who has also stepped up to assist with ribbon cuttings, Business After Hours, and membership support.
Finally, the Best Dressed Table is voted upon by guests at the Leaders’ Banquet and announced during the event.
Thank you as well to the nearly 300 attendees who joined us for this memorable evening of celebration and community connection! We look forward to another year of continued business success in Grays Harbor and thank you all for the support of this large scale event.
