At the 2025 State of the City Dinner held on March 11th, the Martinsville Chamber presented our annual Outstanding Business, Outstanding Business Professional, and Ruth Rusie Spirit of Service Awards. It was appropriate that these three amazing ladies were honored during International Women’s Month. Congratulations to Rhonda Aliff, Michelle Keller, and Carmen Elliott!

OUTSTANDING BUSINESS 2024

The Martinsville Chamber’s Outstanding Business Award recognizes a business in or around the city of Martinsville that has contributed significantly to the positive image of our city.

When a local eatery became available, the owner of our outstanding business was urged by her daughter-in-law to revive a dream held years ago – that of owning a restaurant in downtown Martinsville. Although reluctant to take on something new, as soon as Rhonda Aliff walked through the doors of Awnie’s Italian Cuisine in 2023, she knew that this was the right time to make her dream happen.

Nestled between Fables & Fairy Tales and the Martinsville Candy Kitchen on Main Street, Awnie’s has become a popular setting for date nights, family birthday celebrations, business lunches, and gatherings of friends. The extra effort and finishing touches on the décor by Rhonda and her staff have resulted in a cozy, classic Italian atmosphere – exactly what was envisioned for that space by the Artesian Group developers. The authentic Italian menu and affordable prices have made Awnie’s a destination restaurant for residents and visitors alike and has been a valuable addition to our city.

Congratulations to Rhonda Aliff, owner of Awnie’s Italian Cuisine (located at 44 N. Main St., Martinsville)!

OUTSTANDING BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL 2024

This award recognizes a businessman or woman who demonstrates outstanding achievement and excellence in his or her business or profession, as well as business, social, and community involvement.

Michelle Keller‘s vision in opening both an event space and lodging option in downtown Martinsville has been a game changer for those visiting the downtown area, bringing more traffic to the district and to neighboring businesses.

Brickhouse on Main has become a go-to spot for both social events and business gatherings in downtown Martinsville, providing a beautiful setting for all types of events. This beautiful space has also been open to the public through events like the Small Business Saturday Brickhouse Market, giving a boost to local vendors who don’t have their own retail space. You know when you book an event at Brickhouse on Main that the venue will be professionally decorated, and the service will be top-notch.

Adding Brickhouse Loft – A Boutique Hotel to the downtown district through a partnership with Artesian Group was a stroke of genius, providing much needed lodging for business travelers, those attending workshops and classes in the area, visitors attending weddings and other special events, and more. A block of rooms can be rented as well, allowing for entire wedding parties or family reunions to be held in downtown Martinsville. This boutique hotel has become a popular lodging option for those attending both Indiana University-related events and Indianapolis-based events, creating a positive, one-of-a-kind experience for those who may or may not be familiar with Martinsville.

Michelle Keller’s professionalism and attention to detail, along with a willingness to go above and beyond for both her clients and in working with other local businesses has truly made a difference in the reputation of the Martinsville community.

Congratulations to Michelle Keller, our Outstanding Business Professional!

RUTH RUSIE SPIRIT OF SERVICE AWARD 2024

This prestigious award recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions in the way of volunteering, giving, fundraising, mentoring, or caring in the workplace or community. The Ruth Rusie Spirit of Service award is named for Ruth Rusie of Martinsville for her inspiring volunteer achievements and outstanding commitment to community service.

Our winning nominee for the Ruth Rusie Spirit of Service Award has volunteered for multiple causes and has had a significant impact on several organizations and many individuals. This person spent several years visiting those incarcerated who were dealing with past abuse and has also gone into area middle and high schools, educating our youth about teen dating violence, sexual assault, domestic violence, bullying, and date rape drugs.

As a fundraiser extraordinaire, our nominee has conducted more than 25 successful fundraisers for a local cause, raising more than $650,000 over the last 13 years. Fondly referred to as “Ms. Personality Plus”, she has never met a stranger and is loved by her colleagues and clients alike.

She has helped build a small grassroots nonprofit shelter for victims of domestic violence and their families into an amazingly stable and successful organization. By now, you probably know that this year’s winner of the Ruth Rusie Spirit of Service award is Carmen Elliott, the volunteer coordinator and as mentioned earlier, fundraiser extraordinaire, at Desert Rose. Carmen has a passion for helping victims of abuse and has been very much a part of the Desert Rose story.

Desert Rose has been providing shelter and services for domestic violence victims in Morgan County since 2005. Residents of the shelter and clients love Carmen as she conducts sexual assault groups and safety planning at the shelter.

Carmen is also the owner of Cscape Travel Company in Martinsville and a volunteer for Child Life Services at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. She is married to Randy Elliott; they have four children and three grandsons.

Mark your calendars for Desert Rose’s annual Mothers’ Day Flower Sale. You’ll be sure to see Carmen out there with a Desert Rose bucket soliciting impromptu donations.

Congratulations to Carmen Elliott, winner of the Ruth Rusie Spirit of Service Award for 2024!