At the annual Aurora Chamber of Commerce holiday luncheon, LeeAngelo’s Pizza was honored as the 2024 Business of the Year and local attorney Rachel Reight received recognition as the 2024 Person of the Year last Friday afternoon at The Bertram Inn Hotel & Conference Center.
“The Person & Business of the Year is really quite an honor,” Chairman of the Awards Committee Jim Maulis noted. “It is given to those who do more for the community. One thing that we have noticed over the years is that the recipients do things for others. They are not looking for recognition and they are not looking to be called out and not even necessarily looking to be caught. That is what you look for, the ones that make a difference and do something; for the most part when they don’t want recognition.”
Maulis spoke about the impact that Angelo Gonzalez’ pizza shop LeeAngelo’s Pizza has had on the Aurora community since opening up business in 2021.
He said that Gonzalez bought an existing pizza shop three years ago to open his fourth pizza location across four different counties to not only open a great restaurant, but also to make a significant impact in the community.
According to Maulis, LeeAngelo’s Pizza has more than lived up to its slogan, ‘Community over Competition.’
“When asked if they would help sponsor a learn to ride bike program, LeeAngelo’s stepped in,” he added. “They not only sponsored the entire event but they also purchased $2,500 worth of bikes and sent the employees out to assemble those bikes with the kids themselves.”
Maulis said that Gonzalez also sponsored a pancake breakfast for the Aurora Parent Teachers Organization to raise money for scholarships. Not only did LeeAngelo’s sponsor the event, employees came to work the kitchen and did all of the cooking.
“From a nomination form, one says that you can find LeeAngelo’s hosting a fundraiser for some club or activity in Aurora almost every evening, giving generously to the Aurora community and donating over $65,000 in 2023 alone,” Maulis said.
Aurora Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin presented Gonzalez with a proclamation to celebrate the honor of his business being formally recognized as the Business of the Year and also presented him with a key to the city.
“LeeAngelo’s Pizza restaurant under the exemplary leadership of Angelo Gonzalez has been a cornerstone of the Aurora community since its opening in 2021, consistently embodying its slogan “Community above Competition,’ she added.
In addition to Mayor Benjamin’s proclamation, Gonzalez was also awarded an accommodation from Ohio Representatives Gail Pavliga and Steven Demetriou on behalf of Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Jason Stephens.
“Congratulations to this fellow small business owner,” Demetriou said. “I know how hard it is and what you do every day and it is really incredible to hear all you have done for Northeast Ohio across all four of your locations. It is well-deserved and I know Representative Pavliga and I and are glad to support you in any way we can.”
Maulis then presented Gonzalez with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition of Achievement signed by United States Representative Dave Joyce and a letter of accommodation from Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague.
After being honored, Gonzalez expressed his gratitude and disbelief for being awarded so many certificates.
“One of the things we drive at in the business is courage and how do we define courage? Acting despite the feeling and imagine how I feel right now,” he said. “I just want to do a good job for you. I am addicted to who I have become while doing hard things and leadership is something I value the most and if we define leadership, it is the ability to have influence so as I work hard and I make the effort and I make the sacrifice, I know a lot of you are out there giving me that motivation to do that.”
Following Gonzalez’s recognition, Awards Committee member Jared Hostetler offered some brief remarks about recognizing Reight as the 2024 Person of the Year.
“This year, the Committee chose an incredibly deserving candidate in Rachel,” he said. “In the words of those who nominated her, you will find Rachel in our community everywhere. She expertly juggles her family, her law practice and numerous community non-profit organizations. She grew up in Aurora and is raising her family here in Aurora and is proud to dedicate her time and expertise to continue to strengthen and give back to her community.”
Hostetler talked about the several organizations that Reight belongs to, such as the Aurora Historical Society, the Aurora Alumni Association and President-Elect of the Ohio Public Employees Lawyers Association.
Representatives Pavliga and Demetriou presented her with an accommodation from Stephens and offered some congratulatory remarks.
“Your leadership and care for the community are truly an inspiration for many; you are a true role model for all.Please keep up all of the great work that you are doing and continue to be an inspiration to the community that you serve not only in Aurora, but in Portage County in general,” Pavliga told her.
Mayor Benjamin bestowed another proclamation and key to the city to Reight and extended her congratulations to the local Aurora attorney.
“Rachel serves as a leader in the Aurora community, balancing her roles as a devoted mother and a dedicated legal professional and an active participant in numerous organizations,” Mayor Benjamin noted. “Born and raised in Aurora she continues to raise her family here and dedicates her time and expertise to strengthen and give back to her whole hometown and actively mentors new lawyers through the Supreme Court of Ohio, providing guidance and support as they develop their skills.”
Hotstetler presented Reight with a Certificate signed by Congressman Joyce and a letter of accommodation from Sprague.
Reight then delivered a speech thanking all who were involved in naming her the 2024 Person of the Year.
“I want to start by saying it is an honor to be here today surrounded by so many people who make Aurora such a remarkable place to live and to work,” she said. “Receiving the Person of the Year Award is incredibly humbling as there are so many of us in this room doing such good work in Aurora but I do want to thank the Chamber of Commerce for this recognition, it is truly a reflection of our community spirit and the partnerships we have all built together.”
Some of the partnerships that Reight referenced were the Portage County League of Women Voters, the Greenmen Apparel Company and the Aurora Alumni Association.
“I am deeply grateful to each of you for our shared vision of what we hold for Aurora,” she concluded. “We come together to support each other, lift each other up and ensure that no one in our community stands alone.”
