Brian and Amy Bernatchez of Belgrade didn’t expect the call from the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce — or the honor that came with it as this year’s Distinguished Community Service Award recipients.

The Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s 63rd annual awards ceremony will celebrate the accomplishments of members of the business community and is set for 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Waterville Elks Banquet & Conference Center, 76 Industrial Road, in Waterville.

“I was overwhelmed,” Brian Bernatchez said. “Amy and I got off the phone … and hugged and cried tears of joy.”

The Bernatchezes have built careers rooted in both professional success and community involvement. Brian has served as a financial advisor for 37 years and is the founder and managing partner of Golden Pond Wealth Management. Amy is a recently retired real estate broker who also coached field hockey for 25 years. 

The couple was nominated for the award because of their decades of community service and the impact they’ve had in central Maine. Amy first got involved in the Mid-Maine Medical Center Auxiliary and Waterville Women’s Club in the mid 1990s, while Brian joined the Rotary Club at 24 after Amy’s father and grandfather insisted. “I learned from them and many others what service above self means,” Brian said.

Brian grew up in Belgrade, graduating from Messalonskee High School and Thomas College.

Amy moved to Maine from New Jersey in 1983 with her parents and was convinced she was going to move away after high school.

“My plans changed after attending Messalonskee High School, the University of Maine at Orono, and falling in love with a local Belgrade boy. I also fell in love with all that central Maine has to offer, from the lakes to the coast and west to the mountains,” Amy said.

They chose to stay in Maine and raise a family of their own. 

The decision to stay has translated into decades of involvement. Brian has served on the boards of the Mid-Maine Chamber, Thomas College, the Maine Community Foundation, the Alfond Youth and Community Center Founders Club, and the Belgrade Lakes Association, contributing leadership and long-term vision for each. 

In 2026, the Bernatchezes co-founded the nonprofit Maine Majestic Field Hockey Club.

“It provided affordable yet elite training, competition and recruiting opportunities to hundreds of field hockey players from all over Maine, with over 150 going on to play at the collegiate level,” Brian said.

Amy has focused on youth and athletics. Through her work with the Alfond Youth and Community Center, the Maine Field Hockey Association, the Maine Sports Hall of Fame, the McGrath-Salmon Lake Association and MaineGeneral Health, she has worked to create opportunities and safe spaces for all, especially children.

For the Bernatchezes, the impact of their work is measured by the people it has reached, not by titles or positions. One moment that stands out to them is their involvement with Thomas College during a period of major campus expansion, when a field hockey facility was built and later dedicated in their family’s name. 

“I still get text messages from people who have children who get to play on the field and thank me for helping to build the field,” Amy said. “That is what it is all about. Tens of thousands of kids have played on that field, and that warms my heart!”

Even with decades of service, the Bernatchezes view the award as something bigger than they are.

“Brian and I are a team … individually, we are good, but we are better together,” Amy said. 

Through their years of involvement, they have also seen the community evolve.

“The Waterville area has gone through some very challenging times as it struggled to find its place after being a thriving mill town for so many years. Now, our area is daring to move forward as a premier recreational, arts, cultural and college community,” Brian said. 

Now, the couple remain focused on continuing that momentum for the community. Golden Pond Wealth Management is celebrating its 30th year, with plans to expand, while Amy continues her involvement in organizations that support youth and families. 

As they look to the future, they have a shared goal to leave a lasting impact on the community they call home.

“I just hope that people know how grateful we were to live and work here,” Amy said. “Our wish is that central Maine will continue to be a great place to live and raise a family for many years to come.”

The other award winners are:

· Lifetime Achievement, Ken Walsh

· Large Business of the Year, SAPPI Fine Paper

· Small Business of the Year, One River CPAs

· Outstanding Professional, Dr. Steve Diaz

· Municipal Employee of the Year, Matt Skehan

· Exceptional Volunteer of the Year, Jackie Dalton

· Customer Service Stardom, Kim Moxcey

· Rising Star of the Year, Shawn Packard

· Elias A. Joseph Award, Karen Normandin.