Former director honored at Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce awards dinner

When business leaders gathered in Genoa on Wednesday for the 69th annual Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce meeting and award dinner, they took time to honor a woman who many said carved a local business legacy.

Former Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce Director and longtime community business leader, Pattie Marx, died at 78 on Feb. 2, 2025. The fruit of her work was on display on Wednesday at the annual gathering.

Current chamber director, Krissy Johnson, said the Legacy of Service award, which debuted Wednesday night, was created to honor Marx.

“If you were lucky enough to meet her, you were better off for it,” Johnson said. “Pattie Marx was a force of unwavering strength and giving spirit throughout Genoa.”

Cortney Strohacker, also a former Genoa chamber director who’s now executive director of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau, helped honor Marx’s legacy while presenting the new award.

“Pattie didn’t just join committees – she owned them. When Pattie believed in something, there was no stopping her," Strohacker said.

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Nicole and Nick Esposito, the owners of Keep it Poppin, smile after winning the Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of the Chamber award on Feb. 11, 2026. (Camden Lazenby)

The winner of the first-ever Legacy of Service award was Melissa Davidson, of Davidson Pargman & Company.

Strohacker said that Davidson, the treasurer on the Genoa chamber’s executive committee, “is someone who is deeply respected and admired, leads with integrity, and has the courage to speak honestly.”

Davidson expressed gratitude at her selection as the award’s inaugural recipient, partly because she worked directly with Marx at Citizens First National Bank in Genoa, where she was a teller when she was in college.

“She was actually my boss,” Davidson said. “That was quite a few years ago. And I’m heavily involved in the community, and Pattie was, she was definitely involved in a lot of areas in the community, like they said in the speech. So it’s a great honor to have received this award.”

Davidson wasn’t the only person who won an award Wednesday night, but she was the only person who won two. Davidson Pargman & Company was given the Excellence in Small Business award.

“Genoa means a lot to me,” Davidson said. “I love Genoa, so it means so much to me to be a part of this community and help see it grow, and continue to build.”

After a New Orleans-themed meal, a short chamber meeting was held before the awards were given out.

The award for Excellence in Business was given to one of the evening’s hosts: Custom Aluminum Products.

The Excellence in Nonprofit award went to Opportunity House, which has helped people with intellectual and developmental disabilities lead happy, healthy and productive lives for more than 60 years.

The Spirit of the Chamber award was given to Keep it Poppin, a family-owned gourmet popcorn business in Genoa.

The Ambassador of the Year award was given to Dealynn Stone. Johnson said Stone has shown that she will “knock through any obstacle to make sure” chamber events go smoothly.

The Dave Tobinson Outstanding Chamber Member award was given to Jennifer Irving.

The bestowing of the inaugural Legacy of Service award concluded the Genoa Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting on an emotional note, but the evening started with a jazzy tone.

The Genoa-Kingston High School Jazz Band serenaded more than 100 business leaders as they gathered inside Custom Aluminum Products’ showcase warehouse at 312 Eureka St, in Genoa. Their music played into the annual meeting’s theme of Mardi Gras – the last day before Lent, known for boisterous parties in New Orleans and Catholic dom.