Each year the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce awards a community member as their Business Person of the Year. This past Wednesday would have been the celebration event of Business Person of the Year but the event had to be postponed.

This year's Business Person of the Year is Scott Rote - President of Wheeler and Taylor Insurance in Great Barrington. The Chamber's Betsy Andrus did meet up with Scott along with State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli to recognize Scott's contributions to the business community. In addition, Smitty presented Scott with a citation from the Massachusetts State House.

In addition to Scott's many contributions to our local business community, one huge act of kindness sticks in mind regarding Scott. You may remember that in the spring of last year, at a time when the Southern Berkshire Regional Planning Committee needed personal protection equipment to protect poll workers from the coronavirus, Scott stepped up to the plate and donated 2,000 surgical masks the insurance agency had purchased and then took it a step further. Rote had procured foam, elastic strapping material, and 200 sheets of polycarbonate plastic, and the staff of Wheeler & Taylor went to work constructing face shields as PPE. You can read more by going here.

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Another instance of Scott lending a huge hand to the community was in January of 2021 when Wheeler and Taylor partnered with Canary Blomstrom Insurance Agency of Agawam and provided major support to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. The team's support paid for approximately 100,000 meals for hungry residents of Western Massachusetts. You can read more by going here.

These two examples prove the great extent that Scott and his team will go to support and care for those in need especially during the darkest of times. It's no surprise and very well deserved that Scott is the Chamber's Business Person of the year. Congratulations Scott!

Article Image: (from left to right) - Betsy, Scott, Smitty

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