Each year, the Chippewa Valley Vanguard Awards honor local individuals who have stepped up to move the community forward in positive ways – the often unrecognized people who work, day in and day out, to make our communities stronger, more livable, and more beautiful. They are the vanguard, and it is for them that Volume One created the Chippewa Valley Vanguard Awards.

Some have been at the forefront of new ideas and ambitious endeavors for years. Some are just now coming into their own, inspiring and helping those around them. Together, these self-starters make up the community’s buzz-worthy frontline of innovation, action, and momentum.

It’s with the encouragement of these kinds of thinkers and doers and an interest in the continued growth of our thriving community in mind that Volume One and Northwestern Bank are sponsoring the Chippewa Valley Vanguard Awards.

Now in their sixth year, these awards recognize high-level community achievers who’ve made a recent and significant local impact in areas such as health care, social action, the arts, entrepreneurship, government, education, philanthropy, business, and more. These are the people helping shape the future of the Chippewa Valley.

To find the individuals truly making a difference, we need your help. Public nominations are open now through Friday, Nov. 10, via a simple online form at VolumeOne.org/vanguard. (You can read about past honorees there, too.)

Once submissions are closed, a panel of key community players from diverse backgrounds and industries will evaluate nominations and work together to select the year’s honorees. These individuals will be publicly announced by at Volume One’s Best Night celebration on Feb. 10, as well as in print in Volume One magazine.

To learn more about past honorees, visit the Chippewa Valley Vanguard Awards website. To tell us about someone you think deserves an award, visit the Chippewa Valley Vanguard nomination form.