Bellevue Chamber Honors Community Leaders at GameChanger Gala

Bellevue, NE – September 19, 2025. The Bellevue Chamber of Commerce celebrated outstanding businesses and community leaders at its annual GameChanger Gala. The event also marked the Chamber’s annual meeting and highlighted key accomplishments from the past year.

Awards presented included:

• Distinguished Service Award – recognizing the exceptional leadership and impact that Deanna Wagner of the Bellevue Food Pantry has made on the community
• Ambassador of the Year – honoring outstanding Chamber engagement by one of our newer Ambassadors – Alyson Nielsen of West Gate Bank.
• Rising Game Changer Award – celebrating volunteering effort and community support of Candace Dunn of Beardmore Subaru
• The Game Changer Award – for years, Garrett Sims has been striving to make Bellevue better. Over 10 years ago, he started three Facebook pages that focus on the great things that are happening in Bellevue. Later, he took over the Best of Bellevue contest after the original creator decided not to continue. Most recently, he has created the Bellevue Times online newspaper. He might not have created a brick-and-mortar in Bellevue, but his efforts are just some of the key reasons several businesses have become so successful.
• Bellevue Chamber Legacy Award – introduced this year to honor long-term contributions. The inaugural recipients were Gregg and Sue Hoogeveen of Hoogeveen Chiropractic & Wellness for their decades of service to the Chamber, whether it be on the Board, various committees, sponsorship, and also their service to the community.

The Chamber also celebrated the success of BellevueOpoly, a local business engagement game that more than doubled participation from its first year. BellevueOpoly recently earned the Best Event Award at the MidAmerican Chamber Executives conference and will soon expand with a digital app, supported by a $75,000 prototype grant.

Additionally, the Chamber used a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the City of Bellevue to help local businesses beautify blighted areas or expand operations to hire additional staff. Eleven businesses were selected from fourteen applicants to receive assistance.

The Bellevue Chamber continues to support local businesses, foster community engagement, and create innovative programs that benefit Bellevue residents and entrepreneurs.