Jonea Gene received the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce's Public Awareness Award and Ambassador of the Year Award at the Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony held on October 19, 2006 at Horry-Georgetown Technical College.  The Public Awareness Award came as a complete shock to Jonea Gene, as many years prior to this the Horry Indpendent, Conway's local newspaper, has won this award.  The Public Awareness award is given to a marketing or public relations person and/or company of the year who helps to get the word out about the Conway Chamber to the community.  In helping to get the word out, Jonea Gene writes for the Conway Chamber's quarterly publication, the Chamber Quill and serves on the Public Affairs Committee.  "It is a huge honor to have received this award," said Jonea Gene.  "The chamber has done so much for me - I just see everything I do as a way to thank the chamber for all they have done for not only myself, but all of the other small businesses out there who can attribute much of their success to the chamber."

The Ambassador of the Year Award was also an honor for Jonea Gene to recieve.  Jonea Gene served as the Ambassador Chair of the chamber this past year; and such, took a leadership role in program, receiving Ambassador of the Month multiple times.  "It is not the award itself that matters," said Jonea Gene.  "It is the blood, sweat and tears that it took to get to where I am overall - to be accepted in this community as someone who really cares about where COnway is going - that is why this means so much."

As a part of receiving these awards, Jonea Gene appeared on Rivertalk with Jack Murphy for the second time within a span of two months.