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Robert Peccia - Founder of Robert Peccia and Associates (RPA). Bob started this business in 1978 and built it into a highly-respected full-service civil engineering firm that now employs over 60 individuals in three offices and works on projects throughout Montana and across the U.S. Headquartered in Helena, the company has branch offices in Kalispell and Bozeman. Bob established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) during the early years of RPA, leading to the company becoming 100% employee-owned in 2009, which has helped the firm retain highly-skilled employees. In recent years, he was instrumental in RPA moving their offices
to their newly built building near the South Helena Interchange, a building that was designed to accommodate significant company growth in the future. Bob has not only established a very successful engineering firm, but he has been a visionary developer in the Helena area. He saw the potential for expansion and growth in the southeast area of Helena. He donated the land for the South Helena Interchange to enable the MDT to cost-effectively build that interchange and completely change the community access and growth of that area. His development has steadily grown with many new businesses and homes. He has also been involved in many other development projects in the Helena Area. Bob is a founder of Valley Bank of Helena and still serves on their board of directors.
Business Person of the Year award winner Robert Peccia. Photo Credit: Thom Bridge, IR
2020 Volunteers of the Year
David Jensen, Mike Meredith & Dennis McSweeney
SWISH Tournament Volunteers
2020 Business Person of the Year
Robert Peccia - Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA)
It takes a lot of volunteer hours for the chamber to have a successful year but one of the most intense need for volunteers is for our largest event – the SWISH Basketball tournament. With 130 teams in 10-12 gyms over a long weekend, it is important that the tournament is well-run. Our committee is made up of our Committee Chair, David Jensen, who coordinates the logistics of the event, Mike Meredith, who does bracketing and ensures teams have a fair and fun experience and Dennis McSweeney, who provides
two referees for each game in each gym for every hour of tournament play. These three men have been the backbone of our tournament for many years and they do an exemplary job. We are blessed to have their expertise and we are excited to name them as our 2020 Volunteers of the Year!
Volunteers of the Year award winners (L to R) David Jensen, Mike Meredith and Dennis McSweeney.
2020 Hospitality Heroes
Col. Ray Read and Gen. Jim Duffy
of the Montana Military Museum
Our Hospitality Hero Award is presented to a person or persons who have made a difference for the Hospitality and Tourism of the Helena area. Our recipients this year have put in time, effort, and hard work and are very deserving of our 2020 Hospitality Hero Awards. Gen. Jim Duffy and Col. Ray Read have dedicated decades (since the 1980’s) to make the Montana Mili- tary Museum representative of military presence, history and military impacts. It hasn’t been easy, especially financially for the museum to operate - but the fundraising done by these two men and the Military Affairs Committee have kept it operating and open to the public. We are absolutely honored to give
our 2020 Hospitality Hero awards to Gen. Duffy and Col. Read – thank you for all of your efforts and fine work.
2020 Hospitality Hero award winner Col. Ray Read.
2020 Hospitality Hero award winner Gen. Jim Duffy.
Awards Continued On Pg 8
SPRING 2021 B2B - A Publication of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce 7