|
The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the 24th Annual Sterling Awards Thursday, November 12th in front of a sold out crowd at the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center.
Four winners were selected from among twelve finalists for the coveted Sterling Award:
The winners are:
Micro Business: Express Digital Solutions
Small Business: Kohler Academy
Big Business: Harkins Theatres
Non-Profit: Devereux Arizona
“All of our finalists represent some of the finest examples of Scottsdale’s business community, and every one of them deserves recognition and accolades today said Rick Kidder, President / CEO of the Chamber. Express Digital Solutions, Kohler Academy, Harkins Theatres and Devereux School are all wonderful and worthy recipients of this year’s Sterling Awards. It is, perhaps, easier to be a role model for the business community when times are good, but in difficult days like these, we especially wish to salute those companies whose contributions to our business community rise above those challenges. The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce commends the winners, the finalists, the judges and all of the companies who took the risk to step up for this award the highest honor our organization can bestow.”
The Sterling Award for Non-Profit Business was presented to Devereux Arizona.
The Non-Profit Award recognizes a charitable organization contributing to the social, cultural and educational well-being of its constituents.
Devereux Arizona has been changing lives through high quality human service treatment programs and community based services to children, adults and families experiencing behavioral challenges brought on by abuse, neglect and/or mental illness since 1967. Devereux impacts approximately 1,600 individuals per month by providing customized services relevant to client needs. They address the mental and behavioral health needs of abused children through thirteen programs in Arizona ranging from residential treatment care to therapeutic foster care, group care, and outpatient services. Devereux assists families at risk of losing their children, providing for the safety and stability of the children. Devereux embraces and implements a “Philosophy of Care” compromised of three core principles: to provide services that are effective, accountable and stress positive approaches. Devereux changes lives and nurtures human potential. They inspire hope, ensure well-being, and promote meaningful life choices.
Also honored for their outstanding contributions as non-profits were Scottsdale Healthcare, noted for its regional leadership in medical talent and technology, and outreach services to benefit the health of our community; and St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, the world’s first food bank. St. Mary’s is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization that alleviates hunger by efficiently gathering and distributing food to more than 500 partner agencies in Arizona.
About the Sterling Awards
Begun in 1985, the Sterling Award is one of the most coveted business awards in the Valley, with a rigorous application, judging and selection process. Four teams of 6 judges each conduct an initial review of all applications and narrow the field to three finalists in each category. Once the finalists are identified, the judging teams visit those companies to conduct a personal interview and get a behind-the-scenes look at the operations. Once that step is complete, each judge independently casts a set of points for the finalists based on their embodiment of the award criteria. The points are tallied and the results remain secret until the day of the event. One of the highlights of the Sterling Awards Celebration is the highly anticipated video presentation of each of the 12 finalists. Only members of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce are eligible to apply for the Sterling Award.
The 2009 Sterling Awards were presented by Johnson Bank and sponsored by APS, Cox Business Services, Arizona American Water and Henkel Consumer Goods, as well as SRP, Signs by Tomorrow, Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, Oliver Smith Jeweler and Sun Devil Trophies.
The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in Scottsdale providing advocacy, education, networking, leadership and exposure opportunities to our member businesses. The Chamber actively works to maintain Scottsdale’s high quality of life and create an environment where business innovation, excellence and entrepreneurship can thrive. For more information visit www.scottsdalechamber.com or call 480.355.2700. |
