Elmhurst University will receive the A.J. “Toche” Terrones Business of the Year Award for 2021 at the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 103rd Annual Awards Gala held in the Frick Center at Elmhurst University on Friday, March 25, 2022, from 5 to 9 p.m. Click HERE to register.
“Few communities are blessed to have an institutional of higher learning in their midst,” stated John R. Quigley, ECCI President and Chief Executive Officer since 1999, “let alone one with the standing and history of Elmhurst University.”
The annual award is given based on a member’s contributions to the Chamber’s success, to the betterment of both the business community and Elmhurst community, and impact in their field of business, each in the given year and historically, along with years in business and years as a Chamber member.
The award presentation will be made by a representative of Edward-Elmhurst Health, the 2020 Business of the Year honoree, and Quigley.
Founded in 1871, EU is celebrating its Sesquicentennial Anniversary in the 2021-22 school year. The University changed its name from Elmhurst College on July 1, 2020, in advance of its 150th Anniversary celebration.
A Chamber member since 1967, the University has regularly been represented on the ECCI Board of Directors, with Desiree Chen, Senior Director, Communications and External Relations, currently serving as the Immediate Past Board Chair and as a Director since her 2013 appointment.
Since the 1990s, the Chamber has partnered with the University in the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s (IBHE) JOBPATH Internship Program to provide eligible students with both paid internships and course credit.
The annual award, which features a traveling trophy and permanent plaque, is named in memory of A.J. “Toche” Terrones, who served as Chamber President for nearly a decade until his death in July of 1999.
Business of the Year honorees include the Elmhurst Auto Group (2019), Elmhurst Independent (2018), Brewpoint Coffee (2017), Roberto’s Ristorante & Pizzeria (2016), Café Amano (2015), West Suburban Office Products (2014), Community Bank of Elmhurst (2013 and 1999), York Furrier (2012), Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare (2011), OEC Business Interiors (2010), Harris Bank Elmhurst (2009), Diplomat West Banquet Halls (2008), Suburban Bank & Trust Co. (2007), Larry Roesch Chrysler Jeep Dodge (2006), York Theatre (2005), Synergistic Networks, Inc. (2004), The Silverado Grill (2003), Great American Exteriors (2002), Cardinal Cartridge, Inc. (2001) and Unique Travel Service, Ltd. (2000).
The new traveling trophy of an 11-inch-high glass sculpture featuring colors from ECCI’s Elm Leaf logo atop a 4.5″-inch-high glass base will be displayed by Elmhurst University until the Chamber’s 2023 Annual Awards Gala, while an award plaque with a nameplate listing Elmhurst University is on permanent display at the Chamber office.
Established in 1918, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a voluntary organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together to promote the civic and commercial progress of the community.
The Elmhurst Chamber’s mission is to promote an environment that creates success for local businesses and our community.
The Chamber also serves the needs of its members through services, programs and events that provide opportunities for networking and referral, business education, development and promotion, governmental representation and community involvement.