About 700 are expected Thursday night for the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 119th annual meeting at the Osborn Center.
It’s the second-largest annual Chamber function —next month’s martin Luther King Jr., breakfast is about twice as big — and marks the end of the chairmanship of BellSouth’s Jim McCollum and his board.
Barry Allred of Elkins Constructors will be installed as the new chairman and Bob Helms of Wachovia will be installed as chairman-elect.
The evening starts with a reception at 6 p.m. The dinner and program are at 7 p.m.
In addition to the installation of new officers and the new board, two major awards will be presented: the Small Business Leader of the Year and the Distinguished Citizen of the Year.
The business leader will come from nine who have been nominated by either an Area Council or a Chamber division. All were interviewed by a committee, which makes the final decision.
The Distinguished Citizen Award is decided by a separate committee and is considered the Chamber’s most prestigious honor.
Tickets are $75 and small businesses can qualify for a $50 rate. Information is available from the Chamber’s Mary Hamelin at 366-6695.