The conference room at Albany’s Hilton Garden Inn was packed Thursday night as dozens of Albany’s community and business leaders flocked to the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce’s 106th annual dinner, which featured the presentation of three prestigious awards and an inspirational speech from author and business leader Sam A. Williams.

Albany Area Chamber of Commerce interim President and CEO Barbara Rivera Holmes set the stage for the night by sharing some of the successes seen in the community during the past year, while honing in on the night’s recurring themes of servant leadership and collaboration affecting change in the community.

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