The Madera community came out en force to honor the new recipients of the Madera Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Awards at Hatfield Hall at the Madera District Fairgrounds.
Sally Bomprezzi, Glenn Chu, Liz Salas and Bobby Gran were lauded for their community achievement and commitment to Madera as the newest recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Awards on Thursday.
Along with the four Lifetime recipients, the Chamber also honored its 4 Around 40 recipients — Mika Flores, Omair Javaid, Monica Patel and Ariel Rivera.
However, before the recipients could be honored with their Lifetime videos and awards, Madera Chamber of Commerce Board President Jeff Jackson had one more award to hand out.
He, along with the Board, honored CEO Debi Bray for 40 years of service.
“You’ve become my family,” Bray said. “This whole community has touched my life. That has kept me going for 40 years. Every year, I say I’m going to retire, but it doesn’t happen. I love Madera. I love what I do. It won’t be another 40 years. I’ve learned from all of you, young and old, alike.”
Tables were full and so were stomachs after the prime rib meal from Sugar Pine at the Muni.
Long-time banker and former Madera City Councilwoman, Sally Bomprezzi, adopted Madera as her home town when she came here in 1961 when her father bought a grocery store.
“The community just embraced us,” she said. “My dad always instilled in me to give back to the community and do what you can to make it a better place. That’s what I’ve tried to do.”
After stints in college and in Shafter, Bomprezzi came back to Madera in July of 1977, with her husband Jim, and has been a fixture of the community every since.
“I am grateful for my husband who has put up with everything I’ve wanted to do for the past 51 years,” she said.
Longtime grocery store owner, and now a real estate agent, Glenn Chu first thought of receiving the award in disbelief.
“I didn’t know what to say,” he said. “A short while later, after the shock wore off, I asked myself the same question that other recipients of this award have quietly asked themselves, ‘Why me? What have I done that warrants this honor?’”
Chu moved to Madera in 1959, served in the U.S. Army, attended Fresno State, and then decided to get into the family business, SureSave Market, where he worked for 30 years.
After retiring from SureSave, Chu enjoyed kicking back, but then decided to get his real estate agent’s license, and has worked for Action Real Estate, and now Century 21.
One of Chu’s biggest joys is his work with the Madera Rotary Club after he joined in 1995. His favorite event is the Netherton Relays when he gets to watch the future of Madera compete.
But, no matter how successful he is, he knows he didn’t get there on his own.
“After reflecting on why I was chosen for this honor, I came to the realization of what this award really recognizes,” he said. “It’s a moment to pause, to look back and to acknowledge the people who have made this award possible for me. Nobody succeeds in their career and nobody who serves others arrives at this point alone. Thank you to the people I love, who are the actual achievers.”
Movies Madera and Madera Drive-In owner, Bobby Gran, has been in the theater business his entire life. His father owned theaters and his grandfather owned theaters.
“I grew up watching, listening and learning from people who came before me. Those early lessons shaped, not only how I approach business, but the person I’ve become,” he said.
Except for a year after he graduated from Fresno State, Gran has been in Madera since 1972 when he spent his age 14 summer working at the Madera Drive-in.
His family bought Madera Movies, and Gran came to run it, and has stayed in Madera.
“This community became more than a place I lived and worked. It became home. I built my family here, and was fortunate enough to be welcomed and accepted into the Madera community,” he said. “Throughout the years, one of my greatest goals is to give something back to the community that has always given so much to me and my family. Through our business, we have always strived to provide quality entertainment at a place where residents from Madera can come together, make memories and enjoy a good movie.”
Gran also served Madera by spending the past 30 years on the City of Madera Planning Commission to help Madera grow.
“I am incredibly grateful for every person that has been a part of this journey. Being recognized by the community I have called home for so many years makes this especially meaningful for me,” he said.
Long-time banker Liz Salas celebrated a honorable summer with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier this summer, she received the Circle of Excellence Award from Community West Bank, a place she has worked for the past 20 years. She culminated her summer with Thursday’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I have been fortunate to work alongside talented individuals who understand the value of teamwork, collaboration and supporting one another. I have a great team,” she said.
Salas was born and raised in Madera. And, except for a year in San Francisco, has lived in Madera her entire life. She has spent her working career in the banks after she graduated from Madera High in 1978, and has spent those times working in Madera for those banks.
“I am extremely grateful for this recognition and honor to be a part of such a distinguished group of people,” she said.
4 Around 40
Past 4 Around 40 recipient, Lisa Gill of Sugar Pine at the Muni, introduced the next class of “around” 40 individuals.
Lifetime Maderan Mika Flores insisted she’s not qualified for the award because she’s not close to 40, yet.
“I’m only 35,” she said. “When Jerilyn Von Flue called me, I thought she had the wrong person. I don’t feel qualified for this award. She said the Chamber board got together, and chose me. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.”
Flores is honored for the award and reflected on growing up in Madera.
“I had the best childhood growing up. I was involved in a lot of extra curricular activities,” she said. “My mom never got tired of driving me around. I have heard from friends, far and wide, sending me their well wishes telling me how proud they are of me.”
Flores also acknowledged her husband, Mark, and her two bosses — Frank Bigelow and Jordan Wamhoff.
“I always feel loved and supported. You (Mark) are the only person I would want to do this thing called parenthood with. Raising three kids is no joke. We’re doing it together,” she said. “When you have a supportive boss, it makes everything a lot easier. I am so blessed to work for Madera County.”
Omair Javaid hopes to use this platform to help make a bigger impact on the community by providing financial education for the masses.
“I have gratitude to God, to my family and my parents, and my community,” he said. “I want to give a special thanks to my mentors, to all the people who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
He also said to find crazy people to follow any ideas you may have.
“My advice to everyone is I’m not more special than anyone or possess any special talent. But, if you want to achieve these tasks, you need mentors or you need a team of people that are crazy enough to follow you,” he said. “One of the things I’m known for in the community is for starting our Feed the Hungry project. I had mentors that guided me. But, I also had a team of crazy enough individuals that followed me and who were part of the team to make an inspiration. If all else fails, find people that have the same goals and aspirations as you and you can achieve success.”
Javaid also receives this honor for his community.
“For me, this is not only a huge accomplishment, but a huge accomplishment for my family and for our Pakistani and Muslim community.”
Monica Patel and her husband, Ritesh, own nine businesses in Madera, and continually work to give back to the community, but she also wants to make sure her children see the work their parents are putting in.
“I want my children to understand the importance of giving back to your community, your family and, most importantly, to yourself,” she said. “You are my motivation, my purpose and the reason I keep pushing forward every single day.”
Patel grew up in Madera and is honored and grateful to receive the same award her husband received a couple of years ago.
“I feel incredibly blessed to be born and raised in this amazing community,” she said. “It’s a community that comes together in good times and becomes even stronger through the difficult ones. This community has helped shape me into the woman, mother, wife and leader I am today. I am grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to give back. Investing in the community has shown me the powerful impact we can make together through economical growth, strong work, standards and community outreach. I am thankful for the love and support Madera has given me and my family. Thank you to my husband for always pushing me to be the best version of myself and believing in me even when I struggle to believe in myself.”
General Builders Supply co-owner Ariel Rivera grew up in Madera, and grew up in GBS, working his way to purchasing the company.
“To the Smith family, thank you for trusting me to keep GBS legacy moving forward,” he said. “One of my favorite stories is watching my younger teammates grow and move to the next chapter. If we can teach them skills and work ethic they can pass on to someone else, then we’ve done our small part in this community. I was taught early in my career that if you are not an asset, you are a liability. My goal was to be an asset and continue to be an asset to this community that has given me so much.”
Rivera’s family worked hard to give their children a chance at the American Dream.
“They taught me faith and work ethic, even though they got on my case for taking a couple of days off to go to Mexico,” he said.
This class is the 20th group to be recognized as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees. The 4 Around 40 group is the sixth class.