Lebanon Valley Chamber seeks nominations for ‘Beyond the Call’ award

The Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 2025 General Frank Smoker “Beyond the Call” Award.

The award is presented each year by the Chamber’s Veteran and Military Affairs Committee to an individual, business or nonprofit that “goes above and beyond for service members, Veterans and/or their families,” according to a press release from Chamber communications director Brooke Mendoff.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 2. Nominations can be made by mail to the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, 989 Quentin Road, Suite 1, PA 17042-5272, or by email to rlamason@lvchamber.org.

It is not necessary to be a Chamber member to make a nomination. According to the release, nominations can be made by any Chamber member, a service member from any branch of the military, or by a company employee who has knowledge of that company’s support in 2023-24.

The winner will be honored at a Military Appreciation Breakfast on Thursday, May 1, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Hebron Banquet Hall. More information about the event, and registrations options, can be found online.

The award was named in 2010 for the late Major General Frank H. Smoker Jr., who served as commander of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard from 1978 to 1985 and retired after 42 years of service to his state and nation. Smoker logged over 5,000 flying hours, including 26 combat missions during World War II and five airlift missions to Vietnam.