Two peninsula recipients were named in the Alaska Chamber’s recent bestowal of the 2025 Premier Business Awards during the Alaska Business Summit on Oct. 9. John Hendrix, president and CEO of HEX, LLC and Furie Operating Alaska, received the William A. Egan Outstanding Alaskan of the Year Award. The Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center received the Local Chamber of the Year Award.

The Alaska Chamber is a nonprofit organization founded in 1953 that works to promote a positive business environment in Alaska. They represent more than 700 small and large businesses, manufacturers and local chambers across the state that employ more than 55,000 Alaskans.

The annual Premier Business Awards honor “outstanding” businesses and organizations for their accomplishments and contributions to the statewide economy, a press release from the Alaska Chamber states. Award nominations are reviewed and selected by the chamber’s executive committee, which is composed of industry leaders across the state.

The William A. Egan Outstanding Alaskan of the Year award is presented to an individual who has made “substantial and continual contributions of statewide significance” in the private sector. Hendrix was selected for the award due to his “entrepreneurial spirit” and decades of contributions to Alaska’s energy sector, the release states.

A civil engineer with more than 40 years of international and local experience, Homer native Hendrix has held leadership roles at Apache Alaska, BP, Schlumberger and NANA Regional Corporation. He also previously served as the oil and gas advisor to former Governor Bill Walker.

Hendrix founded HEX, LLC, which acquired Furie Operating Alaska in 2020. Furie — the only 100% Alaskan-owned oil and gas production company in Alaska, headquartered in Anchorage — operates offshore platforms in the Cook Inlet. Outside his professional achievements, the release states, Hendrix has also supported education, youth sports and community organizations statewide.

In an email to Homer News Monday evening, Hendrix said that he attributed his receipt of the award to the supportive Homer community he’s had throughout his life.

“From working at Gillas’ Potato Farm, becoming state wrestling champ, and graduating Homer High in ‘75, the community instilled a work ethic and can-do attitude that has served me well. My time with BP and abroad has taught me to take the “can’t” out of the conversation and instead innovate with the tools at my disposal,” he wrote. “I am deeply humbled by receiving this (award) and for being the first from Homer.”

The Local Chamber of the Year award was established in 1994 and recognizes local chambers of commerce for “consistent community involvement” and strong reputations for business support.

According to the release, under Executive Director Samantha Springer’s leadership, the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center has “elevated its role as a trusted, dynamic and forward-thinking organization.”

“The Chamber fosters regional collaboration, recently partnering with the Soldotna Chamber on shared programming and campaigns,” the release states. “Its initiatives promote economic sustainability, youth development and civic pride, positioning it as a vital force in the Central Peninsula.”

Last year, the Kenai Chamber revitalized their Kenai Cultural Center and brought back monthly rotating exhibits for the first time since 1993. The chamber also launched the Kenai Chronicle Lecture Series, expanded scholarship programs and created the Kenai Peninsula Cultural Foundation, which is a new nonprofit focused on historical conservation, education and community restoration.

Additionally, the Kenai Chamber regularly hosts community events including the annual Fourth of July parade, their “Christmas Comes to Kenai” event, and a new “Haunted Chamber” attraction. These events, the release notes, create opportunities for residents to connect and celebrate what makes Kenai unique.

Representatives from the Kenai Chamber did not respond to a request for comment by press time Tuesday.

The Alaska Chamber also presented two more awards during last week’s summit.

The Bill Bivin Small Business of the Year award, which recognizes independently owned and operated Alaska businesses with fewer than 100 employees that demonstrate leadership and community involvement, went to Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal.

The Rita Sholton Large Business of the Year award, which honors companies with more than 100 Alaska employees that exemplify leadership in their industry and consistent community involvement, went to STG Inc.

Learn more about the Alaska Chamber at www.alaskachamber.com/.