Lockhart Chamber hosts awards gala

February 26, 2026

White, Most Worthy Citizen

By Leesa Teale

LPR Publisher

Above, Mayor Lew Named Most Worthy Citizen

Last weekend, guests attending the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce’s winter gala, were treated to a night of dinner, dancing and recognition for some very deserving people and businesses.

Hosted at the Two Wishes Ranch outside of Lockhart, over 250 guests were dressed to impress while enjoying a catered meal by Commerce Cafe. Choosing to change it up a bit from recent years, the Chamber brought in Nathan Colt Young to entertain the crowd with his musical talents for a live concert and dancing.

Colt Young didn’t just sing though; he was also the auctioneer for the carefully procured live auction with seven large ticket items including a spa package, a backyard spruced up, a large print, a Lake Travis weekend package and more.

There were also nearly 30 items available for bid at the silent auction. Those items ranged from $75 to over $500. Gift baskets to venue rentals to window tinting were on the sale bill.

One new twist this year was the opportunity for attendees to purchase a surprise gift box for only $25 but inside you could find an item or items valued at $25 up to $100. There were a limited number of boxes, and they went quickly. In regard to the boxes, Kacie Brown, a Gala Committee member stated, “Auctions always seem to have a lot of gift items for women, but this year we made sure to have a wide variety for women, men and families to enjoy.”

Lockhart ISD Jazz Band entertained the crowd with lively and upbeat tunes before dinner occurred. Once the dinner concluded it was time to recognize area businesses and/or people for going above and beyond in the community.

Award recipients were:

Most Worthy Citizen was awarded to Lockhart Mayor, Lew White. This award honors a living, active or retired individual whose lifetime achievements reflect exceptional service and enduring, community-wide impact. The recipient demonstrates excellent character and a longstanding commitment to the betterment of the Lockhart community through contributions of time, energy, leadership, and service—especially beyond their professional responsibilities, without regard to personal gain. This award recognizes sustained impact over many years.

White’s nomination stated he has provided long-standing service and has had enduring impact on the Lockhart community.

Beyond his current role as mayor, he has consistently given his time, leadership, and energy to the betterment of Lockhart over many years. His excellent character, steady commitment, and community-first approach reflect a lifetime of service and the spirit of this award.

The Business Spirit Award was given to 4×4 Cleaning Services. This award honors a local business that actively strengthens the community through generosity, involvement and civic leadership. One nomination read that 4×4 is very professional and trustworthy and goes above and beyond with impeccable work every time. Both residential and commercial clients praised them for their hard work.

The Nonprofit Spirit Award went to Golden Age Home. Golden Age Home is celebrating serving the community for 65 years by making a meaningful difference in the Lockhart community. Through service and outreach, they display integrity and strong character in their work. As a nonprofit organization, they are dedicated to offering personalized assisted living services and ensuring a high quality of life for their residents.

The Individual Spirit Award honors an individual who consistently strengthens the community through generosity of their time and energy. Nick Metzler was recognized as working relentlessly to improve and support the community. Most recently he was recognized as being instrumental in bringing Austin Community College to Lockhart as the Chair for the Political Action Committee. Metzler is also active in the LISD FFA, the LISD Education Foundation and consistently demonstrates genuine love for the community.

The Chisholm Trail Roundup Spirit Award was awarded to B.J. Westmoreland. The award honors a living, active or retired individual who has made significant contributions to the success and spirit of Chisholm Trail Roundup. The nomination read, BJ has given meaningful contributions to the success and spirit of the event. He consistently gave his time, energy, and support—often outside of any professional role—to help ensure Chisholm Trail Roundup continued during a critical transition. His commitment, character, and willingness to step in where needed embody the spirit of this award.”

Business of the Year Award went to Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. This award recognizes business that has strengthened Greater Lockhart’s economic vitality and demonstrated meaningful confidence in the community’s future. The recipient shows a clear, positive impact on the local business community through growth and investment, such as expanding facilities, creating new services or offerings, hiring additional employees, or other actions that measurably benefit the area. Austin Telco invests back into the people they serve through a “people helping people” approach—supporting local initiatives and programs that strengthen families, students, and small-town life.

Agribusiness of the Year was awarded to Barking Dog Ranch. This award recognizes business or individual whose work has provided outstanding service to agriculture or an agriculture-related industry. This award honors the lasting role agriculture plays in the area’s heritage and continued success. Since 2018 Bob and Denise Riendeau Barking Dog Ranch has operated a farm located outside of Lockhart that raises animals and processes and donates meat and eggs to many groups that serve people with food insecurities. They also do educational outreach programs for young and old to familiarize them with sustainable farming practices.

Each recipient received a personalized award to commemorate their accomplishments.

Others recognized were outgoing Chair, James Bowman who was praised for serving on the board and bringing institutional knowledge to a group of his peers to lead the chamber.

Clifton McCrury, Eric DeHoyas, Lisa Leverett and Suzy Falgout were also recognized as outgoing board members as well. Their service and dedication were very valuable to the Chamber during their tenure.

The presenting sponsor for the event was Balcones Real Estate. Additional sponsors for the gala included Hill County Foodworks, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Clear Leadership Academy, Sensei Ag, Austin Telco Federal Credit Union, DevDotCom, Lone Star Paints and Quarter Horses, Farmers Insurance and Hometown Meat Market.

Special thanks went to the students from Clear Leadership Academy shined as they passed out programs and cleared the tables after dinner. Heather Leider Photography also made the evening memorable with her photo op for those in attendance.