ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Tonight, we start taking a look at the finalists for Lima Allen County Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year Gala.
We start with the Young Leader of the Year Award, sponsored by Mercy Health. The 2024 nominees are:
The owner of Beauty by Jill, Jill Bakies, is a Lima native and graduated from Apollo Career Center's cosmetology program. She became a licensed cosmetologist at the age of 17 and opened her own salon 10 years later in downtown Lima. Beauty by Jill is a full-service salon and spa offering over 50 services and having trained some of the most successful stylists in the region. Bakies says she is dedicated to being a staple in the Lima community.
Megan Joseph is a care consultant with UMR United Health Group who works to implement change for people about what is and isn't working with their insurance programs. She is an Ohio Northern University graduate who started as a college athletic trainer before landing at UMR. She takes pride in bringing the Healthy Running Series to Lima youth.
Brianna Theis is the assistant director and lead teacher at Rhodes State College's early learning center. Theis worked her way up the ranks in the program by being that person who asked, "Is there anything else I can do?" She volunteers for many events in the Lima area and feels she has made an impact on many lives by doing so.
The winner will be announced at the chamber's gala event on May 1st at the UNOH Event Center.
