For First Time, Nation’s Top Business Awards to  Be Presented at Ceremonies in Both New York and San Francisco

The Stevie® Awards today issued the call for entries for The 10th Annual American Business Awards, the USA’s only all-encompassing business awards program, and invited all organizations nationwide to publicly recognize the achievements of their executives and employees by nominating them for a Stevie.

The entry deadline is March 28. Late entries will be accepted through April 25 with a late fee.  All individuals and organizations in the U.S. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.   The 2012 awards will honor work since the beginning of 2011.   Entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA. 

Nominations are now being accepted in various category groups for  management awards, public relations awards, marketing awards, new product awards, human resources awards, information technology awards,  web site awards, and more. There are many new categories for 2012, including 18 new categories for smartphone and tablet apps, as well as the Best of the ABA Awards, five best-of-competition prizes that will awarded to the organizations that submit the best overall body of work to the competition.

For the first time, The American Business Awards will feature two awards banquets.  The first will take place on June 18 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City and will honor Stevie Award winners in traditional categories.  The second, a new event, will be held on September 17 at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco, California and will honor Stevie Award winners in all tech-related categories.

Also new in 2012, Stevie Awards will be conferred in three levels of distinction: Gold, Silver and Bronze.  To date, only overall category winners have been recognized as Stevie winners.

“We are excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The American Business Awards and the Stevie Awards movement at a time when the American economy is rebounding,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. “Whether they’re multinational corporations and top executives or local businesses and hourly employees, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to be publicly honored for their hard work and achievements.”

The 2012 American Business Awards will include the Fourth Annual People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products, in which the general public will vote for their favorite new products and services of the year. Each new product or service nominated in The American Business Awards’ new product awards categories will automatically be included in people’s choice voting.  Voting will open in early July and winners will be announced at the San Francisco ceremony on September 17.

The American Business Awards’ June event will be the culmination of the inaugural America Means Business, a celebration of entrepreneurship that will take place June 13-15 in New York City.  Created by the Stevie Awards to educate people about how to start and grow a business, America Means Business will feature inspirational keynotes, “How I Did It” case studies, one-to-one mentoring, an exhibition, and more.  America Means Business is now accepting proposals from speakers and attendee registrations at www.AmericaMeansBusiness-NYC.com.

2011 Stevie Awards were presented last June in The Ninth Annual American Business Awards to a diverse group of organizations including American Express OPEN,  Blackboard, EmpowHER Media, ESPN, Hewlett-Packard, Kwittken & Company, Millennial Media,  Overstock.com, Red Frog Events, and Tesla Motors, among others. 

To enter The 2012 American Business Awards, visit www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.  Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com/, and follow the Stevie Awards on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. 

Sponsors and partners of The 2012 American Business Awards include American Support, Business TalkRadio Network, Citrix Online, Dynamics Research Corporation, iolo technologies, John Hancock Funds, LifeLock, PetRays, Primus Telecommunications Group, SoftPro, SDL and VerticalResponse.

We've published an 11-minute video about how to enter the 10th edition of the U.S.A.'s top business awards program, The American Business Awards.

Now in their 10th year, The American Business Awards are the premier business awards program in the U.S.A, with award categories including management awards, marketing awards, PR awards, HR awards, IT awards, web site awards, video awards, app awards, new product awards, and more. The entry deadline is March 28.

The short video covers:

• What the ABAs are, and their history
• The schedule for the 2012 ABAs
• How to review and select categories
• How to prepare and submit entries
• What’s new & different in 2012
• How the judging process works
• Best practices

If you plan to enter The 2012 American Business Awards, we highly recommend that you get and review the online entry kit in addition to watching this video which offers many helpful insights about the process of the awards program.

The following professionals are participating on the 7 final judging committees of the 2012 (6th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales and Customer Service, the world's premier customer service awards, contact center awards, and sales awards. Final judging began on January 30 and will run through mid February. Their average scores will determine the 2012 Stevie Award winners. This year's Stevie Awards winners will be announced at our annual awards ceremony at Caesar's Palace resort in Las Vegas, NV, on Monday February 27. Learn more about the event and reserve your table today. We thank our judges for their enthusiasm, time, and insights.

2012 Sales Department & Sales Team Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Raj Hajela, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, Salesify, Redwood City, California, USA
Committee:
Chris Ancell, President-Business Markets Group, CenturyLink, Denver, Colorado, USA
Damian Artt, SVP WW Sales & Services at WindRiver (Intel), WindRiver, Alameda, California, USA
Bill Cheek, President-Wholesale Ops, CenturyLink, Monroe, Louisiana, USA
Amy Guarino, VP Business Development, Marketo, San Mateo, California, USA
Carlos Hidalgo, CEO, The Annuitas Group and Marketing Automation Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Susan Knox, VP of Sales, SAP, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, USA
Sudhir Kulkarni, SVP, Head of Sales, Sourcebits, Inc., Pleasanton, California, USA
Shane Lewis, Asst VP Sales, Sundance Vacations, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA
Stephen Lilly, VP, Business Development, Ziff Davis/B2B Focus, Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
Jay Mitchell, Managing Director, Motum, LLC, Irving, Texas, USA
Jill Rowley, Director of Strategic Accounts, Eloqua, San Francisco, California, USA
Tracey Solanas, VP Sales, GramercyOne, New York, New York, USA
Lucas Tennant, Senior Vice President, Sales, CompuPay, Inc, Miramar, Florida, USA

2012 Sales Individual & Solution Provider Final Judging Committee
Chair:
William Binch, SVP Sales, Marketo, San Mateo, California, USA
Committee:
Ahmed Al Hai, BRM Specialist, ADCO, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Matthew Androski, SVP Sales, BMC Software, Irvine, California, USA
Jeb Brooks, EVP, The Brooks Group, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Gregory Brush, VP, Sales, InsideView, San Francisco, California, USA
Susan L. Cordts, CEO, Adaptive Technologies, Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Michael Gear, Vice President, WW Sales & Field Operations, GoodData Corporation, San Francisco, California, USA
Derek Grant, SVP Sales, Pardot, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Donna Kent, SVP, Global Sales & Marketing, TeleVerde, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Keith Nealon, Chief Revenue Officer, M5 Networks, New York, New York, USA
Mark Roberge, VP Sales, Hubspot, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Julie Thomas, President & CEO, ValueSelling Associates, Santa Fe, California, USA
Diane Updyke, VP Sales, Crowd Factory, San Francisco, California, USA
Derrick Van Grol, VP Global Sales, IDI Billing Solutions, Victor, New York, USA
Ronald J. Whaley, Chief Revenue Officer, OSG Billing Services, Englewood, New Jersey, USA

2012 Sales Achievement Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Jason Copeland, Senior Manager, National Sales Group, SurePayroll, Inc., Glenview, Illinois, USA
Committee:
Johnny Anderson, VP, Bulldog Solutions, Austin, Texas, USA
Ryan Azus, Vice President, Worldwide Sales, RingCentral, San Mateo, California, USA
Scott deMoulin, President, Business Breakthroughs Elite Consulting, Grovetown, Georgia, USA
Phil Hansen, CEO, CLEARLINK, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Thomas Joyer, Senior Vice President, Sales & Client Services, Health Integrated, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Gene McNaughton, President, Elite Concepts, Inc., Ladera Ranch, California, USA
Carajane Moore, President, Hunt Big Sales, Fishers, Indiana, USA
Matt Morea, Senior Vice President, Business Breakthroughs Int'l, Grovetown, Georgia, USA
Mark Repkin, Vice President, The Certif-A-Gift Company, Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA
Tom Schaff, Managing Partner, Big Swift Kick, St Louis, Missouri, USA
Neal Tricarico, President, Ultimate Growth, Inc., Carlsbad, California, USA

2012 Customer Service/ Call Center Individual & Customer Service/ Call Center Team Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Carita Vallinkoski, Expansion Management, Competence Call Center AG, Vienna, Austria
Committee:
Dmitry Aristarkov, CEO, Call Center Guru, Moscow, Russia
Ela Banu, Customer Care & Services Manager, ING Bank, Bucharest, Romania
Sam Bruni, Senior Director of Customer Experience, BackCountry.com, Utah, USA
Pembe Candaner, Founder & President , Pro-To-Cool, Istanbul, Turkey
Susanne Feldt, Editor, TeleTalk, Hannover, Germany
Simone Fojut, Chief Editor, CallCenterProfi, Wiesbaden, Germany
Claudia Gabler, Chief Editor, Contact Management Magazine, Zollikofen, Switzerland
Barbara A. Glanz, CSP, CPAE, President, Barbara Glanz Communications, Inc., Sarasota, Florida, USA
Gerrit Goedkoop, VP Customer Care, UPC Broadband, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kubilay Guler, Asst. General Manager, FINANSBANK, Istanbul, Turkey
Dr Nils Hafner, Managing Director, Customer Competencies, Institut Dr. Hafner GmbH, Kreuzlingen am Bodense, Switzerland
Tunde Hubina, Customer Care Director, UPC DTH UPC DTH S.à r.l., Howald, Luxembourg
Manuel Jacquinet, Co-president/Publishing Direct, EnContact, MALPASO, Paris, France
Natalia Kabakova, Head of Customer Service, DHL Express Russia, Moscow, Russia
Meltem Karateke, President, IMI Conferences, Istanbul, Turkey
Demet Kockal, Operasyon Yönetmeni, ÇAGRI MERKEZLERI DERNEGI, Istanbul, Turkey
Elzbieta Krawczynska, Quality Specialist & Trainer, Bank Zachodni WBK, Poznan, Poland
Karin Lüttmerding, Customer Service Manager, FONIC GmbH, Munich, Germany
Marcello Maggioni, EVP-Customer Group, Sky Deutschland AG, Unterfoehring, Germany
Nicola Millard, Customer Experience Futurologist, British Telecommunications PLC, Ipswich, Suffolk, UK
Christoph Pause, Chief Editor, Haufe-Lexware GmbH & Co. KG, Freiburg, Germany
Elizaveta Rybinskaya, Customer Service Director, QUELLE RUSSIA, Moscow, Russia
Ann-Marie Stagg, Head of Direct Sales, The Co-operative Banking Group (UK), Sandbach, UK
Manfred Stockmann, President, Call Center Verband Deutschland e. V., Berlin, Germany
Olav Strawe, Publisher, TeleTalk, Emerald Hills, California, USA
Andrzej Szczepaniak, Asst. Director, Central Settlement Services , Bank Zachodni WBK, Poznan, Poland
Özge Tekalp, Director, Alternative Sales Channels, Türk Ekonomi Bankasi A.S., Istanbul, Turkey
Vincent Vanden Bossche, Managing Director, Call Communications, Ottenburg, Belgium
Madalina Vilau, Managing Partner, Expo Media, Bucharest, Romania
Nicolette Wuring, Managing Director, Customer Management Services, RG Amstelveen, Netherlands
Oleg Zeldin, CEO, Apex Berg Contact Center Consulting, Moscow, Russia

2012 Customer Service/ Call Center Department Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Susan Cloutier, Operations Manager, Mayo Medical Laboratories, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Committee:
Kevin Cappel, Owner & CEO, Ledgersre Solutions, Winona, Minnesota, USA
Jackie Coffey, Director, BlueDirect Sales, Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA
Matthew Conant, Director, Customer Experience, Plato Learning, Inc., Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
Dave Dreas, Marketing Director, Managing Member, Jeremy Scott Fitness, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Jeremy Scott, Jeremy Scott Fitness, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Richard Feinberg, Professor, Department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Michael Haddow, Vice President of Customer Care Operations, QBF FIRST, Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
Anne Holland, RN, BSN, CCRP, President, Holland Research Consultants, LLC, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Dino Kasdagly, General Manager, Optum Insight-Division of United Health Group, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Keith Laughman, CEO, Med Fusion, Lewisville, Texas, USA
Frank Mettille, Senior Exercise Planner, Joint Task Force Civil Support-L3 Communications, Chesapeake, Virginia, USA
Craig Oslund, Vice President, Merchants Bank, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Sarah Oslund, Director of Communications, University of Minnesota-Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Paulette Pehling, Owner, Quality Overhead Door, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Dayne Petersen, Sr. Consultant, Benchmark Portal, Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
Thomas K. Sawyer, Associate Professor, Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota, USA
Greg Sell, CEO, Selloxx, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Wei Shi, Sales Director, Digital China Holdings Limited, Beijing, China
Kirk Waldon, President, The Guardian Group, Overland Park, Kansas, USA
Cindy Wills, Vice President, Sales, Carpet One Hour & Home, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Guo (Peter) Zijiang, COO & GM Assistant, Wuhan Kindstar Diagnostics Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China

2012 Customer Service Achievement Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Cameron E. Hurst, Vice President, Assurant Solutions, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Committee:
Tom Coury, Chairman, Matrix Pointe Software, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Carmit DiAndrea, VP, Analytics & Client Services, Customer Relationship Metrics, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Kristyn Emenecker, VP Product Marketing, InContact, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Ryan Hollenbeck, SVP Marketing, Verint Systems, Roswell, California, USA
Cliff Hurst, CEO, Career Impact, Gilroy, California, USA
Gina Musick, VP, Distributed Computing Group Manager, TD Bank, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
Marshall Ogen, SVP, J.LODGE, Marlton, New Jersey, USA
Gary Poch, Vice President, Equifax Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Andy Pritchard, President & CEO, ThoughtBurst, Inc., Carmel, California, USA
Chris Repholz, SVP, IntelliSource, Denver, Colorado, USA
Stuart Saunders, CEO and Co-Founder, Mobile Defense, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Julie Ann Skaggs, Director of Operations, Covance Market Access, San Diego, California, USA
David L. York, VP Sales, Genesys Telecommunications, Larkspur, Colorado, USA

2012 New Product & Service Final Judging Committee
Chair:
Ben Saren, Vice President, Marketing, Litle & Co, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Committee:
David Beisel, Partner, NextView Ventures, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Matt Douglas, CEO. Punchbowl.com, Framingham, Massachusetts, USA
Melissa Dowler, Co-Founder, Long Haul Films, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Michael Dunn, CTO, Hearst interactive media, Stamford, Connecticut, USA
Andrew J. "Flip" Filipowski, Executive Chairman & CEO, SilkRoad technology, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA
Jane Henry, Owner, LOOMLAB, South Pasadena, California, USA
Tara Hunt, CEO & Co-founder, Buyosphere, Montreal, Canada
Aaron Irizarry, Experience Designer, Hewlett Packard, Murrieta, California, USA
Michael LeBarron, Senior UX Engineer, Rue La La, Rockland, Massachusetts, USA
Kaitlin Maud, Co-Founder, Rain or Shine Studio, Brighton, Massachusetts, USA
John McCurdy, VP Business Development, Invest Northern Ireland, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Kevin Mitchell, Senior Director of Programming, National Amusements, Norwood, Massachusetts, USA
Beth Monaghan, Principal, InkHouse Media + Marketing, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
Randy Parker, President, SMBapps, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
Jen Reddy, VP, Global Marketing, Communispace, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Evan I. Schwartz, Director of Storytelling, INNOSIGHT, Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
Rusty Williams, Co-Founder, Troopla, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA

As part of our 10th anniversary celebration, the Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards, has published the second poll in our monthly series about the events, people, organizations, and products that shaped our lives over the past decade.

Our poll this month asks, Who was the top business leader of the past 10 years?    After careful consideration, we've narrowed the choices to the following ten. Vote now for your choice on our Facebook page:

A) Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com

B) Richard Branson, Virgin Group

C) Sergey Brin/Larry Page, Google

D) Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway

E) Bill Gates, Microsoft

F) Naveen Jindal, Jindal Steel and Power

G) Steve Jobs, Apple

H) Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company

I) Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Productions

J) Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook

Our poll results will be announced at the end of February.

Who do you think is the top business leader of the past 10 years?

The Stevie Awards to stage inaugural three-day event in New York City on starting, growing and managing a business -- June 13 - 15, 2012.

The Stevie® Awards, organizer of the world’s premier business awards, today announced that it will stage a landmark three-day event about entrepreneurship throughout New York City on June 13, 14, and 15.

America Means Business will feature dozens of inspirational keynotes, informative panel discussions, “How I Did It” case studies, basic startup education by SCORE, networking opportunities, an exposition, and many other events about how to start and grow a business and everything in between.

Registration for America Means Business is free through May 25, and just $10 thereafter. Registration details are available at http://www.AmericaMeansBusiness-NYC.com.

Those interested in staging an event related to entrepreneurship and business management during America Means Business are invited to become Event Partners. There is no cost to participate.

“By creating America Means Business, we hope to help spark an entrepreneurial revolution in the U.S.A.,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards, which are celebrating their 10th anniversary in 2012. “Small businesses are the building blocks and the hiring engines for widespread economic well-being, and we want to enable many more people to realize their dreams of growing their own businesses.”

According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of self-employed Americans with incorporated and non-incorporated businesses declined 2% in 2011. The 27 million small businesses in America represent 99.7% of all employers and employ 49.2% of the private sector workforce, according to the Small Business Administration’s latest small business profile. Recognizing the importance of small business to the sustainability of the economy, America Means Business will aim to address the needs of entrepreneurs and assist and inspire those who have the dream of opening their own business.

America Means Business will be headquartered at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street, with events taking place there and at other locations throughout New York City.

About America Means Business
America Means Business is a landmark event about entrepreneurship - about how to start, grow and manage your own business. To take place in New York City on June 13 - 15, 2012, America Means Business will be packed with educational, networking and social events that will show you how to bring your dream to life. For more information visit http://www.AmericaMeansBusiness-NYC.com.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.stevieawards.com/, and follow the Stevie Awards on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

Jason Copeland, Senior Manager, National Sales Group at SurePayroll, Inc., Glenview, Illinois USA, is chairing one of the final judging committees for the sales awards categories in the 2012 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Final judging is now underway, and sales excellence and customer service awards winners will be announced on February 27 at the 6th annual awards banquet in Las Vegas. Get your tickets here.

We asked Jason why small businesses should be optimistic in 2012

What are the top 3 reasons for small businesses to feel optimistic in 2012?

1. They’re in business in 2012! 2012 is shaping up to be the year of small business. If you've survived the recession, the rising tide should lift your boat. And if you're just starting a business...
   
2. Potential new U.S. policies could spark a startup renaissance. U.S. small businesses and their owners will get a lot of attention this Presidential election cycle. The American business owner's voice is stronger than ever and business owners will need to use their voices to help shape tax and regulatory policy for the next few years. Organizations worldwide will benefit from the attention placed on the importance of small businesses.
   
3. In late January, Chase and Citibank announced they significantly increased small business lending in 2011 from, roughly, a combined $17 billion in 2010 to almost $25 billion in 2012.  Additionally, Thomson Reuters data shows venture capital funding increased 22% to over $28 billion in 2011.With more lending opportunities now available, organizations will greatly benefit on a global scale.

What item of news recently caught your eye and why? 
The Costa Concordia disaster. Sadly, the actions of the captain and his lack of leadership made the tragedy that much worse.  Appalling.

What is your favorite sport or hobby?
Spending time with my son, playing poker, and golfing. To be clear, I do not play poker with my son … yet. 

If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
Political or sports commentator/analyst.

What quality or qualities do you most value in your business associates?
I look for committed problem-solvers with integrity, a good attitude, drive, and tenacity. 

As someone at the top of your profession, what keeps you inspired or makes you hit the ground running in the morning?
I strive every day to make a positive difference in the world for my family, my team, my company, and our customers. 

About Jason Copeland:
An accomplished sales professional, Copeland joined SurePayroll in 2005 as the company's Accounting Channel Manager. In just three short years, Copeland led the channel to record growth of more than 113%. In 2008, Copeland moved into his role as National Sales Manager during which he rebuilt the company's sales training program. Over the next few years, Copeland was responsible for leading unprecedented growth. He was promoted to Senior Manager of the National Sales Group in 2011. Copeland is largely credited with his team's recognition as the Stevie Awards’ 2011 National Sales Team of the Year. Prior to joining SurePayroll, Copeland worked in various sales and sales management positions for RPS, Advantage, Paychex, and Enterprise.

About SurePayroll:
SurePayroll, The Online Alternative, is dedicated to providing a convenient and easy-to-use small business payroll service that keeps business owners in control. Over 30,000 customers rely on SurePayroll to process payroll-on-demand in as little as two minutes. In addition, SurePayroll offers efficient online solutions for managing 401(k) plans, health insurance, workers' compensation, employee screening, and more. SurePayroll provides private-label and co-branded services that enable accountants and banking partners to offer online payroll processing to their small business clients. SurePayroll is a wholly owned subsidiary of Paychex. For more information, please visit www.SurePayroll.com.

About Paychex:
Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) is a leading provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits outsourcing solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses. The company offers comprehensive payroll services, including payroll processing, payroll tax administration, and employee pay services, including direct deposit, check signing and Readychex®. Human resource services include 401(k) plan recordkeeping, section 125 plans, a professional employer organization, time and attendance solutions, and other administrative services for business. A variety of business insurance products, including group health and workers' compensation, are made available through Paychex Insurance Agency, Inc. Paychex was founded in 1971. With headquarters in Rochester, New York, the company has more than 100 offices serving approximately 536,000 payroll clients nationwide as of May 31, 2010. For more information about Paychex and its products, visit www.paychex.com.

More than 1,000 votes were cast this month in answer to our poll question, What is the top business story of the past 10 years? Our monthly poll will help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the start of the Stevie Awards movement.

You've voted the rise of social media as the top business story of the past decade, with 31% of all votes cast.

Other options in the poll were

a) Apple’s introduction of the iPhone sparks a revolution in mobile computing (26%)

b) Wall Street’s troubles trigger the “Great Recession” (18%)

c) Europe’s sovereign debt crisis heralds an era of austerity across the continent (10%)

d) The rise of the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) changes the balance of power in international trade (14%)

February's Stevie Awards poll will ask, Who was the top business leader of the past 10 years? Look for the poll to open on February 6.

Let us know what you think - Do you agree with the results?

We have made two changes to our 2012 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A., to help make your Stevie Awards® submission process easier. (The 2012 American Business Awards are now accepting entries. Download your entry kit here and submit entries by the March 28th deadline.)

Our business awards updates include:

• A new link/file uploader
  We've added a Link/File Uploader to the online entry form. Click the link that says "Add Attachments, Videos or Links to This Entry" to add or upload any number of URLs or offline supporting attachments to an entry. Your attachments and links will then be presented to the judges.
  
  
• Online only submission acceptance
  Entries may no longer be submitted offline. All entries must be submitted online, even if you enter a category for which you'll provide materials for judging offline (e.g. Best Annual Report).

Our business award updates will help you to:

• Easily enhance your submission
  With our new link/file uploader, you have the option to upload a collection of supporting files and web addresses to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.
  
  
• Keep track of the progress of your submission
  Our online submission center allows for you see all of your submissions in one easy-to-view location.
  
  
• Save your entries while perfecting your submissions
  Since all submissions will be entered online, you can save your submissions while you continue to work on other entries. You have the option to submit entries individually or all at once.

Let us know what you think about our new updates - leave us a comment!

The following professionals participated in the preliminary judging of the 2012 (6th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales and Customer Service, the world's premier customer service awards, contact center awards, and sales awards, in November-January. Their average scores determined the Finalists. We thank them for their dedication, time, and insights. This year's Stevie Awards winners will be announced at our annual awards ceremony at Caesar's Palace resort in Las Vegas, NV, on Monday February 27. Learn more about the event and reserve your table today.

Kenneth Amormino, Director of Call Center Operations, GAW, Enfield, CT, United States
Johnny Anderson, Vice President, Bulldog Solutions, Austin, TX, United States
Jeff Billado, Sales Consultant - Customer Interactive Solutions, Dimension Data, Herndon, VA, United States      
Paul Bilodeau, VP Sales & Marketing, The Brooks Group, Greensboro, NC, United States
Jane Blackwell, Community Outreach Manager, High Point Bank & Trust, High Point, NC, United States
Jill Blankenship, CEO, Frontline Call Center, Eastsound, WA, United States
Jeanne Bliss, President, CustomerBLISS, Pacific Palisades, CA, United States       
Bob Botelle, Exec VP. Merchant Services, Chief Customer Officer, Litle & Co, Lowell, MA, United States
Norm Bour, Community Development Director, OPIS Network, Newport Beach, CA, United States
Johnny Bravo, Account Executive, PolyPak America Inc., Sales, Loas Angeles, CA, United States
Patrice  Bryon, Head of Client Services, ProFund Advisors, LLC, Financial Services, Bethesda, MD, United States
Elaine Buxton, President, Confero Inc, Cary, NC, United States
Jon Byers, Manager of Client Relationships, Covisint, Client Satisfaction, Healthcare, Durham, NC, United States
Andrew Christofferson, Customer Service Manager, Cargill, Inc, Feed Products, Blair, NE, United States
Chadwick Collier, CEO, Consumer Driven Solutions and Group Cars, Memphis, TN, United States
Ryan Consigli, CEO, Zoom Technical Services, Inc., Woburn, MA, United States
Tom  Cross, Editor, TECHtionary, Boulder, CO, United States
Kelly Dantas, Media Director, SDI Distributor, Yonkers, NY, United States
Robyn Davis, Owner, When I Need Help, Columbus, OH, United States                 
Brent Dierking, Director, Business Development/Strategic Planning, NorthStar EMS, Birmingham, AL, United States
Kevin Domingue, VP, Customer Services, TRUMPF, Inc., Customer Service, Farmington, CT, United States
Alan Dowler, Customer Service Officer, Hamilton Jewelers, Princeton, NJ, United States
Carolyn K Edwards, AT&T and  WATCh?, San Diego, CA, United States    
Annette Eland, Claims Customer Service Manager, Esurance, San Francisco, CA, United States                   
Evren Erbasol, Phone Banking Manager, AKBANK, Alternative Delivery Channels Management, Istanbul, Turkey
Ron Essig, VP, Products & Services, Marriott Vacation Club, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Meredith Estep, Vice President Client Services, Unitiv, Inc., Alpharetta, GA, United States
Paul Evans, President and CMO, Evans Media Group, Overland Park, KS, United States
Franck Fielemon, Manager Direct Sales, DHL Express, International, Hoofddorp, Netherlands
Will Garrick, Senior Director, Prescription Solutions/  A United Health Care Company, Customer Service, Costa Mesa, CA, United States
Gina Giordano, VP, Customer Feedback, Macy's, New York, NY, United States
Barb Girson, Principal, My Sales Tactics, New Albany, OH, United States
Jaki Glenn, Regional Sr. Sales Rep., Taleo Learn, Taleo, Belton, SC, United States
Bob Gooderl, Product Manager/AVP, Symetra Financial, Life Division, Bellevue, WA, United States
Justin Grenier, Support Team Manager, Listrak, Lititz, PA, United States
Jimmy Griffith, Director, Solution Center Operations, Assurant Solutions, Extended Protection Solutions, Lawton, OK, United States
Judy Guffee, Senior Manager Customer Service, med fusion/ ClearPoint Diagnostic Laboratory, Lewisville, TX, United States
Josh Hatala, Marketing Specialist, AIReS, Marketing, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Peggy Heafey, Director - Intermediary Partner Care, Marriott Intl., Inc., Marriott Sales and Customer Care, Omaha, NE, United States
Arne Henrickson, SR Director Client Services, Coinsar/Redbox, Corporate, Bellevue, WA, United States
Greg Ives, Director of Global Services, ChannelAdvisor, Morrisville, NC, United States
Jeanne Jalufka, Sales Marketing Consultant, Pearson, Corpus Christi, TX, United States
Robert Jeppsen, Vice President, Commercial Sales, Zions Bank, Commercial Sales, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
David Johnston, President, Sales Resource Group Inc., Oakville, Canada
Rebecca Jones, Senior Marketing Manager, The Retail Outsource, Coral Gables, FL, United States
Christine Kazor, Customer Service Manager, Bright House Networks, Riverview, FL, United States
Rafal Kucharski, Advertising Manager, Wytwornia Mebli, Swarzedz, Poland
Rebecca Lane, Epitome Health and Beauty, Bushey Heath, United Kingdom
Howard  Lewis, President, Family Heritage Life Insurance, Cleveland, OH, United States
Shane Lewis, Asst VP of Sales, Sundance Vacations, Sales, Kennett Square, PA, United States
Angie  Marchant, CEO / Client Management, Millennium Benefits Consulting, Sandy Springs, GA, United States
Frank Maylett, EVP Sales and Global Alliances, inContact, Midvale, UT, United States
Colin  McKillop , Chief Executive Officer, Butcher Enterprises, Windsor, Canada
Curtis McLaughlin, Customer Support Manager, Debix Inc., Customer Support, Austin, TX, United States
Sharon Metzung, Publications & Graphics Manager, Lake Metroparks, Concord Township, OH, United States
Tiffany Mittal, Director of Sales and Marketing, Multifamily Utility Company, San Diego, CA, United States
Simona Mollova, CEO, Investmen JSPK credit consult - jsk, Sofia, Bulgaria
Stacy Muentzer, Project Manager, Bankers Life and Casualtyy Company, Chicago, IL, United States
Mark O'Toole, Managing Director, Public Relations & Content Marketing, H|B, Newton, MA, United States
Steve Pappageorge, Sr. Director, Business Services, DeVry Inc., DeVry University, Downers Grove, IL, United States
Donald Pillai, International Marketing Executive, Bumbo International, Pretoria, South Africa
Melanie Pope, Director, Australian National Paramedic Support Foundation, Aspley Qld, AL, Australia
Janine Popick, CEO, VerticalResponse, San Francisco, CA, United States                
Amy Pulaski, Manager, UPS, Global Customer Service Group, Richmond, VA, United States
Jesintha Rajaratnam, Partner, Joje India Consultants - Finance HR FZC, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Dennis Reno, Vice President, Global Customer Service, Oracle, San Francisco, CA, United States
Nancy Reynolds, Global Customer Service Manager, Braiform, Asheville, NC, United States
RJ  Riemer, Director - Training & Process Improvement, VIZIO, Inc., Irvine, CA, United States                     
Bruce Rosenblatt, VP of Sales, ITG Holdings, LLC, Bonita Springs, FL, United States
Amanda Running, PR Manager, SecurityMetrics, Orem, UT, United States
Brillian S K, Head - Talent Engagement, AIL, Human Resources, Mumbai, India
Anita Samojednik, VP, Customer Operations, TheLadders.com, New York, NY, United States
Russell Sarder, Chairman and CEO, NetCom Learning, New York, NY, United States
Harry Schechter, CEO, Temperature@lert, Boston, MA, United States
Stu Schlackman, Owner, Competitive Excellence, Richardson, TX, United States
Paula Seeger, Supervisor-Customer Service Hotline, University of Minnesota, Office of Classroom Managment, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Randy Selleck, Sr. Director, Call Center Operations, Assurant Solutions, Atlanta, GA, United States
Bill Shelton, Vice President, USHEALTH Advisors, Insurance, Grapevine, TX, United States
Donnovan Simon, Director, Sales Support, SMART Technologies, Calgary, Canada
Peter Smith, CEO, SDL, Superior, CO, United States
Cate Sommervold, Dr., pharmaCline, Development and Patient Outreach, Sioux Falls, SD, United States
Alec Stern, VP, Strategic Market Development, Constant Contact, Waltham, MA, United States
Will Tarrant, Project Director, FreemanGroup, Richardson, TX, United States
Lucas Tennant, Sr. VP of Sales, CompuPay, Miramar, FL, United States
Dwayne Tharp, Director of Sales, Networking Technologies and Support, Inc., Midlothian, VA, United States      
Kathy Townend, Marketing Manager, Europ Assistance, CSA Travel Protection, San Diego, CA, United States
Heather Valentine, Vice President Global Sales, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Manakin Sabot, VA, United States
Laura Walter, Corporate Marketing Manager, Enterprise Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, MO, United States
Jerry Weinberger, Director, Customer Service Retention Webs, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, United States
Uriel Weisz, Customer Experience Manager & Researcher, Strativity Group, Rochelle Park, NJ, United States
Patrick Williams, Hit-Maker, YOU ROCK!®, Gig Harbor, WA, United States
Pam Young, President, Unique Innovations Inc., Lancaster, PA, United States
Julia Zamorska, VP of Corporate Communications, iolo technologies, Los Angeles, CA, United States       

SCRA Technology Ventures’ SC Launch program was the Stevie® Award winner for Non-Profit or Government Organization of the Year in The 2011 American Business Awards. (The 2012 American Business Awards are accepting entries. Download your entry kit now.) Here we look at how the successful SC Launch program created jobs.

About SC Launch
Located in South Carolina, SC Launch began in 2006 as a way to assist entrepreneurial start-up companies with up-front counseling, seed funding and access to a powerful resource network. Created by the collaboration between SCRA and the research foundations of Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, and the Medical University of South Carolina, SC Launch is an entrepreneurial inspired program. Created by entrepreneurs and run with best entrepreneur practices, SC Launch provides necessary tools to help build successful technology startups, jobs, and future opportunities for entrepreneurs in South Carolina.  

SC Launch's mission is to: 

1. help generate knowledge economy jobs in South Carolina,
2. enhance the state’s quality of life and;
3. provide opportunity for all South Carolinians in the new economy.

Through its entrepreneurial inspired business model, SC Launch has helped South Carolina's job market by:

• supporting and funding nearly 200 start-ups in South Carolina,
• drawing several business relocation landing parties to the state,
• providing business services to some 250 early stage technology companies in South Carolina through a powerful Resource Network and;
• positioning emerging South Carolina Knowledge Economy companies to secure more than $165 million in follow-on funding from angel, venture, and other private capital sources.

In 2011, SC Launch made significant gains:

• Three Award Winning Innovation Centers were opened to house companies working to commercialize their research discoveries. These Centers are state-of-the-art laboratories, manufacturing, and business facilities whose occupants work on new technologies in such fields as bioscience, advanced manufacturing, energy and environmental sustainability, and pharmaceuticals. A number of SC Launch companies are housed in these facilities.
• SC Launch invested in eleven new, promising portfolio companies and supported three companies moving operations to South Carolina.
• The increase in applicants in 2011 demonstrated the success of the SC Launch program.  The increased number of companies that actually received support showed that companies are maturing in their life cycles and choosing to run their businesses in the State of South Carolina. 

Good Stewardship
SC Launch is particularly proud to be an efficient steward of its funds. The organization documented that in 2010 95% of its funds were directed into investments in entrepreneurial company growth.

National & International Recognition
The business awards winning company was recognized in The 2011 American Business Awards for its role in leading collaborative entrepreneurial and economic development efforts.

"SC Launch is overwhelmed to receive such an honor from the American Business Awards," said SCRA Executive Vice President and SC Launch Executive Director Dave McNamara. "I would like to thank our staff, our investment board, and our outstanding resource partners for their hard work and dedication in building our program."

SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney added: "The SC Launch program continues to identify and support emerging technology businesses in South Carolina, and we are pleased to be recognized on a national scale.  We are committed to advancing South Carolina's Knowledge Economy, and I am confident that SC Launch, along with other SCRA operations, will continue to help companies succeed through our partnership efforts."

In addition to winning a Stevie Award, SC Launch was recognized by Forbes as one of the top entrepreneurial support programs in the nation for its dedication to pursing its mission. SCRA also received national and international recognition for such diverse outcomes as advances in defense-related manufacturing technologies, design and construction of LEED-certified research facilities, and quality-of-life improvements for prosthetics users.

About Dave McNamara:
Dave McNamara serves as SCRA Executive Vice President and SC Launch Executive Director. McNamara provides leadership at SC Launch by directing all aspects of operations, research, communications, and recommendations of the program. He is an experienced Fortune 500 and start-up executive, and also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina and Midlands Technical College. McNamara is a strong asset to the SC Launch program and brings the program an entrepreneurial spirit that is seasoned, savvy, and forward-looking.

About Bill Mahoney:
Bill Mahoney serves as President and CEO of SCRA and brings over 35 years of technology management and applied systems innovation and leadership to the company. Mahoney’s leadership has positioned SCRA as an emerging global leader in targeted applied research and commercialization vertical markets for federal and corporate clients. He has brought national attention to the award-winning SC Launch program, which was created under his watch.

About SCRA:
SCRA is an applied research company with over 28 years of experience delivering technology solutions with high returns on investment to federal and corporate clients. SCRA has three sectors which fulfill our missions: our Technology Ventures sector helps early-stage companies to commercialize innovations and create jobs, our Applied R&D sector manages over 100 national and international programs worth over $1.5 billion in contract value and our R&D Facilities sector builds and manages research facilities that include wet labs, secure rooms for sensitive work and advanced high-tech manufacturing shops.