Dan Merkle, chairman and CEO, Lexipol LLC
FINALIST – Life Sciences & Public Service Dan Merkle chairman and CEO Lexipol LLC In the late 1990s, Dan Merkle began to realize that California’s 600 law enforcement agencies each had different ways of doing business. There were a mind-boggling number of differences in these agencies’ policies regarding vehicle pursuit, use of force, harassment, dealing […]
Jane E. McNamara, President and CEO, GreenPath Debt Solutions
Semifinalist, Services Jane E. McNamara looked at Credit Counseling Center Inc. and she saw a good business that could be even better with a little work. It needed standardized service delivery methods and processes to bring order and take out confusion from the work the company did to help those in dire financial straits. She […]
Claudine George, Managing Member, ICONMA Inc.
Winner, Staffing & Support Services Claudine George had worked at companies where employees were not treated with the level of respect she felt they deserved. She wanted to change that and create a business where they would be valued and made to feel as if they were her No. 1 asset. The company began as […]
How to develop an effective communication strategy
If everyone in your organization was as invested in and knowledgeable about your company’s strategies as you are, your team would be unstoppable, right? But how do you get everyone from the vice president of sales to the front-line worker to embrace that concept? I would argue that a targeted communication strategy can help get […]
Vince Pace, James Cameron, co-chairmen; Cameron Pace Group
Finalists – Media Vince Pace and James Cameron are used to being industry pioneers. As co-chairmen of Cameron Pace Group, they collaborate as filmmakers but also as inventors. Known for their respective careers — Cameron as a blockbuster filmmaker and Pace as a video and camera production innovator — both men share a passion for […]
Noel Cuellar, President and CEO, Primera Plastics Inc.
Finalist, Manufacturing Since founding Primera Plastics Inc. 18 years ago, Noel Cuellar has led his team of injection molders through times of expansion and recession with a focus on the company’s people. The consideration that Cuellar shows for his employees has fostered a corporate atmosphere built on the success of the individuals who work for […]
Tel K. Ganesan, President and CEO, Kyyba Inc.
Finalist, Staffing & Support Services Tel Ganesan likes to be told something can’t be done. His response? “Watch me.” This can-do, risk-all attitude has served him well. He tapped all his personal financial resources seven years ago to launch Kyyba Inc., a home-based operation specializing in providing IT and engineering services to companies. Today, as […]
Steve Carter, president, Knight Hawk Coal LLC
WINNER – Industrial Manufacturing and Mining Steve Carter president Knight Hawk Coal LLC When Steve Carter announced in 1997 that he was creating a coal mining company in southern Illinois, the reaction was a mix of hope and skepticism. At the time, Illinois’ mining industry had all but been gutted with employment dropping 64 percent […]
Christopher J. O’Connor, President and CEO, Humanetics Innovative Solutions
Winner, Manufacturing Christopher J. O’Connor is no stranger to challenges. He still serves as a senior officer in the U.S. Army Reserves and has experience leading some of the nation’s biggest businesses. So when he was asked to turn around First Technology Safety Systems, he was not intimidated a bit. The company manufactures the crash […]
Jeffery S. Prough, President and CEO, Critical Signal Technologies Inc.
Finalist, Services In 2006, few investors were prepared to back a start-up company, let alone one in a relatively unknown industry. However, Jeffery Prough identified a void in the approach to caregiving and recognized that many problems could be resolved preserving people’s independence through the application of technology. His unwavering determination to succeed, industry knowledge […]