from staff
Women Business Owners of North Florida and the Professional Women’s Council of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce are organizing the 25th annual Women in Business Awards.
The award winners will be announced at an awards luncheon on March 21 at the Hyatt Downtown.
The awards are sponsored by WBO, PWC, the Jacksonville Business Journal and WOKV.
Entrepreneur Delores Kesler, chair of PSS World Medical, will be the keynote speaker.
Award finalists are:
• Entrepreneur of the Year: Cynthia Montello of The Montello Agency; Liz Grenamyer of Catering by Liz/Bottega di Bella Sera; and Tamara Baker of Baker Kline Engineering.
• Franchisee of the Year Award: Stacie Rine, Massage Heights; Ann Meyer of Travelhost of Jacksonville & the First Coast; and Grace Huxtable-Mount of The Learning Experience.
• Corporate Leader Award: Jessica Evans of Regions Bank; Pat Blanchard of the Jacksonville Women’s Business Center; Candace Moody of WorkSource; Lisa Gufford of The Crexent Business Center; Debbie Buckland of SunTrust Bank; and Patricia Brzozowski of Prudential Insurance.
• Pioneer Award: Lynn Lamoureux of Pet World; Michaela Miller of Video Law Services Inc.; Trudy Pascucci of Shades of Pink Magazine; Jean Watson of Sweet Repeats Consignment Shop Inc.; Gwen Griggs of PARC Management LLC; and Marilyn McCall Wiles of The Enterprising Women’s Leadership Institute
Doors for the luncheon open at 11:45 a.m.
Tickets for the luncheon are $40 in advance, $50 at the door. Corporate tables of 10 are available.
The event includes a trade show from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., which is free to attend.
For information or tickets, call 278-9270, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.jaxwbo.org.
Kesler, the keynote speaker, founded AccuStaff in 1978, which later merged with two other companies to become Modis. In retirement, she remains active in the business community as a board member for companies such as The St. Joe Co., but she is also engaged in philanthropic pursuits with her DPK Foundation, and is active with the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.