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Steamboat Springs — Members of the local real estate community were the stars of a cowboy-themed Centennial Celebration for the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association at Sidney Peak Ranch on Saturday night.

David Baldinger Jr. was named Business Person of the Year, and Prudential Steamboat Realty was named Business of the Year during the Chamber's annual presentation of its Navigator Awards.

The awards are intended to not only recognize exceptional business practices, but also to honor those businesspeople and businesses that demonstrate leadership in the community.

Dean Vogelaar, the Chamber's outgoing president, said Baldinger is very involved in the community and worked "tirelessly" to help set up the urban renewal authority that funds infrastructure improvements at the base of the Steamboat Ski Area.

"Just bringing our base area into the same standard as other resorts in the U.S. is really important," Baldinger said.

Vogelaar said he was particularly pleased to see a younger businessperson win the award. Baldinger is 40.

"One of the key things in this community is getting good, young businesspeople involved," Vogelaar said. "I was especially tickled to see him get it."

Vogelaar said Prudential does as a company what Baldinger does as an individual: keep the community, not just business, in mind.

"I think everybody in that office does some sort of charitable function," broker owner Cam Boyd said of Prudential's approximately 70 employees.

Boyd has run Prudential Steamboat Realty with partner Pam Vanatta since 2000. Boyd said he was honored and surprised by the award.

"I was really pummeled," Boyd said. "It's nice to get a thing like that, but there's so many good companies in town. We were honored."

Boyd said Prudential strives to "have fun with our work and give something back." He believes the company has been successful in meeting that goal.

"You surround yourself with people who have the same ideals and goals and it makes it a lot easier," he said.

Marabou received an award for its efforts to be a sustainable business.

"Marabou is really taking a grand old piece of ranch property and they're being really conscientious," Vogelaar said.

This is the first year the Chamber, which recently launched a Sustainable Steamboat Business Program, has presented a sustainability award.

Also at Saturday's Chamber event, Scott Marr was named the incoming Chamber president.

- To reach Brandon Gee, call 871-4210

or e-mail bgee@steamboatpilot.com