— Photo by Lawrence Sherwin ©
On Wednesday, the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce made a surprise announcement while meeting with restaurant owner Jim Walker at The Bungalow in Corona del Mar — that he was being named the Chamber’s inaugural “Business Person of the Year.”
Chamber President and CEO Steve Rosansky said this is the first year the Chamber has awarded the honor. The recipient must be a Chamber of Commerce member, own or work with a Newport Beach business, and should be successful and philanthropic, be affiliated with other leaders in business, and be active in the community. The recipient ideally serves as a role model for other business persons.
“Many of you know Jim as the owner of the Bungalow,” Rosansky said in a statement. “He has also been very active in the Chamber as a Commodore and as a 20-year member of the Chamber of Commerce, serving a year as chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Jim has previously served a number of years as president of the Newport Beach Restaurant Business Improvement District and was one of the founders of Newport Beach’s very successful Restaurant Week.”
— Photo by Lawrence Sherwin ©
Rosansky added that Walker has “always been generous when asked to donate gift cards or food to various organizations including the Chamber, Speak Up Newport, the Newport Beach Police Association, the City Employee Appreciation Lunch and many other groups. He has hosted our Chamber meetings on many occasions over the year. Jim has also been a champion for small business here in Newport Beach at City Hall.”
Walker will be honored along with the Citizen of the Year, Nancy Gardner, at a formal dinner on Nov. 15 at the Balboa Bay Resort.
For more information, visit newportbeach.com
