On Tuesday, January 10, the Bossier Chamber of Commerce honored top business and community leaders at the 75th Annual Gala, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Bossier Chamber. The event kicked off with a cocktail hour prior to the program and hosted hundreds of business professionals at the Bossier Civic Center for their largest networking event, presented by Barksdale Federal Credit Union.
The Chamber took time to celebrate the successes of not only the previous year but the last 75 years of excellence they have achieved. They also shared plans for the year ahead. Outgoing Chairman of the Board Eric Barkley. retired from CenterPoint Energy, passed the reins to incoming Chairman of the Board Nicole Wilhite, Citizens National Bank. Incoming board members were recognized and the coveted awards of Business of the Year and Business Person of the Year, presented by our award sponsor the Willis-Knighton Health System, were announced.
Margaret Shehee and Dr. Morgan Lang were both named the Bossier Chamber’s 2022 Top Business Person of the Year for their excellence in their fields but also for their commitment to the community.
Margaret Shehee is a native of Shreveport and currently serves on the board of Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company and is the President of Rose-Neath Funeral Homes, Crematorium and Cemeteries. Since 1985, she has worked for her family business and is the third generation to work there. The company turns 90 this year, an accomplishment she is most proud of. Margaret has led a professional life dedicated to service and giving, having been involved in numerous local organizations such as Grace House, the Red River Revel, Shreveport Regional Airport Authority, and Goodwill Industries. She is a past chair of the Better Business Bureau Board, the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana Board and Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana, serves on the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation and has served on national and state boards such as the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Board, the Louisiana Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, the Life Insurers Council (national), and the Louisiana Insurer’s Conference.
Dr. Morgan Lang became the first female orthodontist in Northwest Louisiana in 2012. Over the past 10 years, her business has grown from four employees to more than 12 employees and recently expanded to Natchitoches and Benton. Dr. Lang has treated thousands of patients in the Ark-La-Tex and makes it a precedent to provide a family-focused environment for her patients and team members. In 2017, Dr. Lang and Lang Orthodontics was awarded the J. Pat Beard Business of the Year. When Dr. Lang isn’t working, you can find her volunteering and/or supporting organizations such as the YMCA, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, just to name a few. Lang Orthodontics initiated the Geaux Smile Foundation, which offers treatment to those that would not otherwise be able to afford orthodontic care. Dr. Lang and her team utilize their time away from seeing patients by visiting more than 25 schools to educate students, encouraging proper oral hygiene, and speaking for both orthodontic health month and national children’s dental health month.
Tubbs Hardware was named Bossier Chamber’s 2022 Small Business of the Year as the company celebrated its 100th year serving the Bossier-Shreveport community.
Tubbs Hardware & Cajun Gifts set their roots in Bossier in 1922 and recently celebrated 100 years of service to the Shreveport-Bossier community. They stand strong as a family-owned business focused on top-rate customer service. Tubbs’ motto is to provide products that are built stronger to last longer, and then they back them up with parts and service. In 1979, their inventory grew to include lawnmowers, parts, services, Cajun gifts and even king cakes that have been shipped across the nation! Tubbs has expanded from their Bossier City location on Benton Road to open a second location in Benton. They are a mom-and-pop store that truly listens to the community and provides the products they want.
Citizens National Bank was named Bossier Chamber’s 2022 Business of the Year following years of loyalty to the Bossier community and growth within the business.
Citizens National Bank started in 1985 at 2005 Benton Road in Bossier City, the only bank headquartered, managed, and operated in Bossier Parish. Since then, Citizens has opened more than 12 locations in Caddo, Bossier, Claiborne, Webster, and Orleans parishes. Citizens is constantly enhancing their culture to provide the best service for their employees and customers. Citizens’ goal is to be a bank that is sound, profitable, and always growing all while providing a personal banking experience for customers and engaging in the communities they serve. Community involvement is a large part of their success, as their branches are affiliated with local organizations such as Coats for Kids, Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission, Volunteers of America and Holy Angels.
Business Person of the Year finalists
John David Person, Nelson and Hammons Law Firm
Margaret Shehee, Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company/Rose-Neath Funeral Homes, Crematorium and Cemeteries
Dr. Morgan Lang, Lang Orthodontics
Dianne Clark, Sci-Port Discovery Center
Business of the Year finalists
Haulage
Tubbs Hardware
Lisa Dilts State Farm
Citizens National Bank
Live Oak Environmental
Coastal Urgent Care of Bossier