It could be argued that working for the betterment of one’s business, community, education and philanthropic ideals spurs professional pride, joy and satisfaction, especially when leading civic organizations bring those contributions to the forefront through service awards.
Prescott’s business trailblazers – current and future – have achieved success in that regard with the Healthy Prescott Business Awards introduced this year by the Prescott Chamber of Commerce (PCC), the Visionary Awards for 21- to 40-year-olds bestowed by the Prescott Area Young Professionals (PAYP), and Prescott High School (PHS) students’ Region 4 honors from Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
The chamber and PAYP awardees were honored at the PCC’s 2015 Annual Meeting Jan. 29 at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center. The FBLA regional conference occurred Jan. 24 in Avondale. Across all three organizations, 48 awards/medals were presented: eight PAYP, 15 PCC and 25 FBLA. The PHS students have a shot at more awards April 8-10 in Tucson, where they will compete against more than 1,500 other students who also have advanced to the FBLA’s 53rd State Leadership Conference.
About 200 people attended the PCC’s Annual Meeting, where both the Healthy Prescott Business Awards and the PAYP Visionary Awards were presented. Master of Ceremonies for the event was Prescott Chamber CEO Dave Maurer. Kimberly Bierschwale, a speech language pathologist working in conjunction with Backway’s Physical Therapy, helped herald the PAYP Visionary Awards.
Origin of Awards
“We came up with the name ‘Healthy Prescott Business Awards’ to honor those businesses that had ‘survived’ the Great Recession, as well as honor some of the newer businesses that took the risk and showed promise in their start-up,” Maurer said. “Once we had the name of the awards – ‘healthy’ – it seemed natural to turn to our health care provider, Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC), for sponsorship. They agreed to be our sponsor.”
YRMC’s Robbie Nicol, executive director of community outreach and philanthropy, shared that assessment about the collaboration. “It’s a natural for a health care organization like YRMC to help recognize healthy businesses in our community. Besides being a health care provider, we also are a large employer in support of our community.”
The hospital, which furnished financial backing and judging assistance for the Healthy Prescott Business Awards, was excited to “just generate more pride in our local businesses,” Nicol said. “Just reading [the nominations] was inspiring.”
The PCC issued its awards from among 37 nominees, Maurer said, noting that any PCC member was eligible for nominations, which were solicited throughout a three-month window via the Chamber’s newsletter, e-blasts and local media. Nominators had 200 words in which to explain why the particular company should be recognized in a specified category. Judges – comprising of PCC staff, YRMC senior administration and Chamber board members – scored each entry.
Award Categories
Three awards – based on the number of employees in the business – were possible in each of six categories: Best Locally Owned Business, Best Company to Work For, Most Philanthropic Business, Best New Business, Best Established Business and Best Long-Time Business. Employee headcount established business size, namely, 1 to 10 employees (small), 11 to 15 employees (medium) and 51 or more employees (large). Recipients in each category and size were businesses with the highest total scores.
Nicol extended the top scoring businesses “warmest congratulations on their well-deserved awards. All of the nominees were winners in my mind and we look forward to hearing more good things about them in the future.”
Three businesses – El Gato Azul, Las Fuentes Resort Village and Grand Highland Hotel – earned recognition in two categories.
“The awards are a tribute to our entire staff,” said the resort village’s General Manager Linda Villa about their awards for Best Company to Work For and Best Established Business with 51 or more employees.
“We are very honored,” Villa continued, citing 18 years of “stability” serving seniors. She credited longevity of the Las Fuentes management and staff ― the company’s “most valuable resource” ― as instrumental in achieving the awards. “Our associates are our most valuable resource and are treated fairly and with respect. Happy, dedicated, trained staff results in excellent customer service and happy residents.”
The Prescott YMCA took two honors that evening: the organization itself as Best Long-Time Business among large employers and a PAYP Visionary Award to Marketing Director Michelle Blevins. The “goes around, comes around” karma in Everybody’s Hometown circled back, as Olsen’s (formerly Olsen’s Grain) tied with Sharlot Hall Museum for Best Long-Time Business (medium). The company’s John Olsen, according to YMCA CEO Damon Olsen (not related), was a Yavapai County Board of Supervisors member and instrumental in “finding and deeding land” to an earlier entity, which in 1974, became the Prescott YMCA.
YMCA’s Olsen credited receiving the organizational award to “the hard working staff and volunteers who really care about our members and the people in our programs. They truly want to make a positive difference in our members’ and program participants’ lives. I also attribute the award to our ability to work together as a team to support each other’s programs, and the willingness to do the work unselfishly for the betterment of all.”
PAYP Visionaries
Blevins was praised by CEO Olsen for her contributions to the YMCA. “We are all ecstatic about Michelle receiving a Visionary Award. In her short time here, she has elevated our marketing efforts to a new level. Her ability to revamp our website and ensure we are YMCA brand-compliant was a huge undertaking and she worked with each staff member to ensure she got the correct information. She also has done a great job of elevating our social media presence.”
PAYP presenter Bierschwale, a previous Visionary Award winner, recalled her own 2012 accolade. “For me as an entrepreneur and business owner, I felt proud to be recognized by my community as making a difference. And the recognition extended beyond the PAYP and Chamber, as clients, co-workers, referral sources, and even my hometown newspaper, recognized my accomplishments.”
Bierschwale advocated the leadership aspects of the tribute, explaining that “the Visionary Award also recognizes you as an up and coming leader of the community. I have lived in Prescott for more than 10 years and I feel like this is my home. Being recognized as someone who is contributing to the community in a meaningful way, and as someone who has the potential to continue to shape this community, was a real honor.”
Ongoing Efforts
This is the fourth year for the PAYP awards and also may be the start of a tradition for the Healthy Prescott Business Awards, which Maurer described as “a great chance for a business to nominate other companies that they do business with.”
YMCA’s Olsen acknowledged the awards as “a great source of pride for the winners – and something to shoot for…I think each business wants to be recognized for their efforts as well. If the award spurs businesses on to do better work, that is good for everyone.” QCBN
By Sue Marceau
Quad Cities Business News
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