Be-BLAC Foundation Executive Director, Kroc Center Chef, and longtime Salem business owner and restaurateur Gregg Peterson will be named Salem’s 2025 First Citizen at the First Citizen Awards Banquet on Saturday, March 8.
On Wednesday, February 12, a group of Gregg’s closest friends, including 2024 First Citizen Sam Skillern, joined us to surprise him at Azul’s Taco House with the news of his recognition. Join us at the First Citizen Awards Banquet to see the surprise on video!
Known for his leadership as an owner of Salem-based restaurants, such as Broadway Cafe, Gregg is just as beloved and respected as a leader within our local Black community. As the Executive Director of the non-profit Be-BLAC Foundation, Gregg is a powerful advocate and role model for the future Black leaders of Salem.
With the Be-BLAC Foundation, Gregg is directly supporting Black-owned businesses and the leaders of those businesses with the vision and mission of a community where Black voices have a direct impact on the city they live and work in. For the last few years, the organization has worked with community members on business development, youth education, and networking to empower them to be bold, creative, engaged, and most importantly, to be true to themselves.
Gregg’s own leadership journey is one of resilience, passion, a strong work ethic, and an unwavering faith in God and his fellow man. Today, he is admired as an inspiration for youth and as a community builder and advocate. We cannot wait to honor him and for you to join us at the 74th Annual First Citizen Awards Banquet!
See below for event details and make sure to get your tickets!
74th First Citizen Awards Banquet
Saturday, March 8
Salem Convention Center
GET TICKETS: https://salemchamber.org/events/first-citizen/
Join us at the banquet to celebrate Gregg, the rest of our esteemed honorees, and our incredible community.
We thank our First Citizen Awards sponsors, including Presenting Sponsors Mountain West Center for Community Excellence and Pioneer Trust Bank, for making this premier Salem event possible.