For the Natchezian of the Year and Woman of the Year, all the credit goes to their surroundings.

Walter Brown and Rene Adams received the respective awards at Tuesday night’s annual Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner.

But both pointed the finger to Natchez, not themselves.

“I love Natchez,” Adams said. “I love my city and I want to do everything I can to make it a better place.”

Adams currently works for First Natchez Radio, and has worked for Natchez Pilgrimage tours and Dunleith.

“I’m usually not stunned,” she said after receiving the award. “But when you look at the names above me, this is a big honor.”

The Woman of the Year Award replaced the Athena Award, given annually to a woman leading the community through service.

Brown most recently retired from the position of city attorney, but has served as a state legislator, among other things.

“Since 1968 when this town and county hired me by sending me to the Mississippi Legislature, I’ve felt like I was representing this town. And I feel like I’m representing this town now.

“People like Natchez. It’s really an easy sell.”

Economic Development Authority Board Chairman Woody Allen presented Brown’s award.

“I researched for two days and found about eight pages of things we can say about this individual,” Allen said.

“Anyone that’s been involved with the City of Natchez knows the man to go to get something done in the City of Natchez is Walter Brown.”

The Alcorn State University nursing school and masters of business administration program received the business of the year award.

Past chamber Chairman Cynthia Parker-Brumfield also officially passed the gavel to the new chairman, Stephen Caruthers.

The event’s speaker was Randolph Jones, a retired Army aviator who was overall Mission Flight Lead and Light Attack Helicopter pilot in Black Hawk Down. The military attack was a mission to Somalia that is considered a great U.S. rescue.

“I was truly a very fortunate solider,” Jones said. “I worked with this nation’s greatest resource.”

Jones told the packed house that soldiers must possess basic character values including loyalty, duty, respect, honor, integrity and personal courage.

Jones is now the city manager of West Point, his hometown.