Honorees for the upcoming 2025 Valley Business Awards gather Monday for a photo. From left: Fresno Chamber CEO Scott Miller, two representatives of Precision Civil Engineering, Business Journal Publisher Gordie Webster, Mega Texas Barbeque Owner Anthony Vallejo and Bill Cummings of Legacy Construction. Fresno Chamber photo

A barbecue chef for the stars and a high school student marketing CEO are among the entrepreneurs being honored by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce at the 2025 Valley Business Awards.

The recipients were unveiled Monday along with the surprise announcement that Business Journal Publisher Gordon M. Webster, Jr. is the 2025 recipient of the Leon S. Peters Award.

The recipients will be honored 2025 Valley Business Awards on Wednesday, March 19, at Pardini’s.

Here are this year’s winners:

Rising Star of the Year Award:
Mega Texas Barbeque

Owners Anthony and Tasha Vallejo started Mega Texas Barbeque inside an ARCO gas station in Fresno in 2019. By 2023, they moved into their own location at Orange and Butler avenues. They have cultivated a national following in that period. Last year, they made a list by Texas Monthly Magazine of the 50 best Texas-style barbecue restaurants in the U.S. They also have received shoutouts from podcaster Joe Rogan and comedian Bill Burr, who visited the restaurant for a second time during an appearance in Fresno last November.

Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award:
Isaak Thammavong

Isaak Thammavong is the CEO and founder of MarketRaze, a marketing agency that empowers brands with creativity and data-driven strategies. He started the business in 2023 as a high school junior, and is now in his senior year at Sanger West High School. Services including digital marketing, advertising, content marketing, lead generation and more.

Harold Zinkin Entrepreneur of the Year Award:
Bill Cummings

Bill Cummings is a real estate broker and developer focused primarily on health care and mixed-use development. with his firm, Legacy Construction. He founded his company, Legacy Construction, in 2006. He’s also an owner of 1852 Visalia, the indoor soccer facility.

Community Champion of the Year Award:
Precision Civil Engineering

After getting its start in 2002, Precision Civil Engineering has grown and diversified from its roots in residential land development to now include planning, land surveying, construction management and more. Founder and President Ed Dunkel, Jr. is a fifth-generation Fresnan from a family with nearly 60 years of experience in engineering services. Named Best Engineering Firm in The Business Journal’s Best of Central Valley Business Awards for the second time in 2024, Makenna Bass, director of business development, said Precision sets itself apart from its competitors in its “genuine affection for the communities we serve.”

Child-Friendly Business of the Year:
CenCal Services, Inc.

A new award category presented in partnership with First 5 Fresno County, Child-Friendly Business of the Year celebrates companies that prioritize child-friendly practices. The local construction firm is owned by Mike Gonzales.

Visit the Fresno Chamber website for more information about the 2025 Valley Business Awards.