Les Campbell, a member of the Orem City Council, and his wife, Linda, were pleasantly surprised when they discovered they were to receive the Arthur V. Watkins Outstanding Citizens Award for 2007. But their joy turned to pride when they found one of Les's former students, Tom Macdonald, was also honored as Businessman of the Year at the Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce's annual Watkins business and public service awards ceremony on Oct. 25.

"He really does deserve that award," said Les Campbell of Macdonald, who was his former seminary student at Orem High School. "I've also been on the Commission for Economic Development board with him, and he has a very bright mind and a quick delightful sense of humor. Maybe that's what got him into trouble with me."

Campbell, who has taught more than 5,000 students in his teaching career of more than 40 years at Orem schools including Mountain View High, Orem High and Orem Junior, recalled he once threw Macdonald out of his seminary class for misbehavior.

"He was 14 years old then. We laugh about it now," Campbell said.

The public service awards are named for Sen. Arthur V. Watkins and honor local business owners and community leaders. Watkins, who was elected a district judge in 1928, served as U.S. senator for Utah for 12 years. He was instrumental in securing funding for the Central Utah Project, which brought water to the Wasatch Front. He was a Utah County resident for much of his life and played a key role in establishing the SCERA Center.

XANGO, a Lehi nutritional supplement maker, receive this year's Business of the Year accolades. Established in 2002, the company claims to be the first company to market a mangosteen beverage, XanGo Juice.

This year's Entrepreneur of the Year, Charlotte "Char" Garn, chief operating officer of Shade Clothing, stepped down last month but remains heavily involved in the apparel company, assisting with marketing, the Personal Shopper program, and other projects.

Business Woman of the Year honors go to Cynthia Gambill, who along with her husband, Tyler, opened Remedez HairSpa with 12 workers in 2002. Remedez was awarded The Best of State Award for four straight years; and the national Salon 200 Award.

Copper Exclusive, an Orem-based, handcrafted copper roofing business founded by Erno Ovari, a native of Gyula, Hungary, with 22 years of copper crafting experience in Europe was named Home Based Business of the Year. Ovari and his wife, Christina, married last December, have combined their talents and experience to create Copper Exclusive.

The Small Business of the Year award went to The Mending Shed's Craig Palmer, founder of the Orem-based appliance repair and parts company. Palmer and his wife, Ellen, opened The Mending Shed as newlyweds in June 1971 with an initial investment of about $500.

William A. Sederburg, president of Utah Valley State College, was the recipient of this year's Business Education Partnership Award. Federal, state and school programs for under-represented populations have been emphasized, and the UVSC student internship program has grown significantly under Sederburg. His leadership has fostered many positive initiatives at UVSC, most recently the approval of the change of status to Utah Valley University.

The Watkins Lifetime Community Service Award went to Delance W. Squire, founder of Squire Co. A past recipient of the Watkins' Outstanding Citizen of the Year award, Squire served as Orem's mayor for four years from 1982 through 1985. He's also served as president of the Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce and the Orem Kiwanis Club.

The Outstanding Chamber Service Award was presented to Delynn Rodeback, a customer and community manager for Rocky Mountain Power in central and eastern Utah. She is also a member of SCERA's board of directors.

Don A. Christiansen, general manager of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District since May 1985, received the Environmental Quality Award. He was the driving force behind the passage of the Central Utah Project Completion Act of 1992.

The Business Beautification Award honors went to Orem Family Dental. James Call became interested in a dental career after serving an LDS mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he noticed many people couldn't afford dental care.