Award winners, State of the City address highlights of Breakfast with the Mayor event

By Toni Miles

There was standing room only at the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Breakfast with the Mayor event held at the recent Gulf Park Campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.

Local business leaders, organizations, first responders and citizens were on hand for the event, where Long Beach Mayor George Bass gave a presentation about numerous City projects, from the Pineville Road Widening Project to an update on the lawsuit the City has filed against FEMA after a years-long struggle to secure disaster relief funds to help rebuild the city’s harbor after damage done by Hurricane Zeta back in 2020. It was all part of the mayor’s annual State of the City Address, where Mayor Bass also announced for the first time publicly he will not be seeking re-election for a third term as Long Beach mayor.

Annual awards were also presented to City workers and first responders, along with the Aline Doherty Citizen of the Year Award.

Detective Destin Guillot with the Long Beach Police Department was named the 2024 Police Officer of the Year. Firefighter of the Year went to Lt. Cody Carroll. Jennifer Fitchie was named the 2024 Public Works Employee of the Year. The 2024 Paramedic of the Year Award was given to Brittney Tillson.

Quentin Denney, Long Beach’s animal control officer, was given the 2024 Aline Doherty Citizen of the Year Award, an award that is presented to a resident or business owner in Long Beach who, through commitment to the community and the spirit of volunteerism, has improved the quality of life in Long Beach and the Gulf Coast.