Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce board member and Peoples Bank Belpre Branch Manager Aimee Seabolt takes a picture of Assistant Manager Melissa Treadway in a DeLorean set up at the chamber’s 87th annual dinner Thursday at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. The theme of the event was “Remembering the Past; Embracing the Future” and tied in with the 40th anniversary of the movie “Back to the Future.” (Photo by Evan Bevins)

VIENNA – The Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated its member businesses and heard about the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence during its 87th annual dinner Thursday at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna.

The theme of the evening, tying in with the 40th anniversary this year of the classic movie “Back to the Future,” was “Remembering the Past; Embracing the Future.” At the same event that marked milestone anniversaries for member businesses – some older than the movie that informed the decorations and quips from emcee Ben Bradley – attendees got a crash course in AI from Olivia Reeder, vice president of advancement at West Virginia University at Parkersburg and president and CEO of the WVUP Foundation.

AI refers to machines performing tasks that normally require human intelligence. Almost everyone has used some form of AI, Reeder said, citing the autocorrect feature on phones as an example.

The most common type people encounter now is a large language model, like Chat GPT, Reeder said. She described these as “a really fast assistant who doesn’t sleep, never gets tired and learns patterns from massive amounts of information.

“They do not think,” Reeder said. “They are merely predicting what sounds best next.”

The Flower Daddy owner Jamie Lee McCormick embraces Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karen Waller after winning the Small Business of the Year award, as Lisa Johnson, with award sponsor PDJ Accounting Services, watches during the chamber’s annual dinner Thursday at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

While Reeder uses many forms of AI, from programs that write press releases and provide information at WVUP to taking a ride in a self-driving car in San Francisco, she warned there are limitations.

“It’s not always the smartest. It needs someone to watch it,” she said.

Reeder showed attendees how to format AI programs like Chat GPT to be upfront about when they don’t have certain information, rather than “hallucinating” something that may sound plausible but has no factual basis. She said she wants to use such programs as sounding boards rather than have them be “sycophantic.” She also shared examples of how different programs can be used to compose emails or create presentations from pages and pages of notes.

Reeder said she believes AI will replace some jobs but also create opportunities for better-paying ones. By generating press releases, for example, she said it can free up employees to perform tasks that require human connection and interaction.

“Some people say it’s making us dumber. I disagree. I think it’s (letting) us work on different things,” Reeder said.

Artsbridge Executive Director and Belpre City Councilwoman Lyndsay Dennis, right, poses for a photo with J.C. Rutter of Edward Jones after receiving the Belpre Citizen of the Year award at Thursday’s Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce dinner. Edward Jones sponsored the award. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Reeder said she has reservations about AI-generated art and warned those attending that images created by AI are not subject to copyright protections.

The evening concluded with the presentation of multiple awards, including Belpre City Councilwoman Lyndsay Dennis being named Citizen of the Year. The Belpre High School alumna also serves as executive director of Artsbridge and volunteers with multiple organizations.

“What truly makes Lyndsay special is her heart for people,” Bradley said. “She listens, really listens, to those in her community and makes thoughtful decisions that reflect her deep care for Belpre’s future.”

Dennis was moved to tears by the award.

“It was very unexpected,” she said after the dinner. “I don’t do it for the recognition, but recognition at the same time is very nice. It makes it feel like what I’m doing matters.”

Olivia Reeder, vice president of advancement at West Virginia University at Parkersburg and president and CEO of the WVUP Foundation, discusses artificial intelligence at the annual Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce dinner Thursday at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Other award winners on the evening were:

* Spirit of the Chamber, recognizing an individual or business “whose achievements reflect the spirit, vitality and standards” of the chamber – Tammy Belcher, president and CEO of 1st Mutual Bank and 2025 chamber president

* Small Business of the Year – The Flower Daddy

* New Business of the Year – Diva Sisters Holiday Shop

* Business of the Year – Shrivers Pharmacy

Businesspeople and community members gathered Thursday for the 87th annual Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce dinner at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

* Most Valuable Employee – Shawn Marshall, manager of ambulance services, WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center

Healthy Hustle and owner Bobbi Walker received a marketing grant for $1,000 to be used toward print advertising, a social media campaign, signage and the like to enhance their marketing strategy.

Belpre Mayor Susan Abdella presented a special key to the city to Darien Lorentz, who she said designed the electrical system for the city’s parks, is vital to the holiday lights effort and is always available to help out when needed.

“He came out at 3 a.m. to help us get the power going” at the city building, Abdella said. “He’s amazing.”

Businesses and organizations recognized for longevity milestones included:

Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce President Tammy Belcher speaks during the chamber’s annual dinner Thursday at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna. Belcher later received the Spirit of the Chamber award. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

* WXIL Radio, 50 years

* Rick Modesitt and Associates, 40 years

* Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley, 35 years

* Farson Street Car Wash, 30 years

* Ohio Valley Opry, 25 years

* First Settlement Physical Therapy, 25 years

* MOV2Go High School Football Weekly, 10 years

* PDJ Accounting Services, 10 years

* Zenergy Massage, 10 years

* Peoples Bank Theatre, 10 years

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.