Contact:  Gita Chandra, gita@mkpr.com 
Patrick Kowalzyck, Patrick@mkpr.com
Michael Kaminer Public Relations, 212.627.8098

FROM ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO CHAIRMAN,
FOURTH ANNUAL AMERICAN BUSINESS AWARDS
CROWN  AMERICANS WITH BUSINESS WORLD’S TOP HONOR

New York, NY – June 13, 2006 – From Julianne Martin, an administrative assistant  at 1-800-Geeks-on-Call, to Howard Lance, the chairman, president and CEO of Harris Corporation, The 2006 American Business Awards last night honored a diverse cross-section of American business people for great performances in the workplace.

In addition to Martin, who was named Best Support Staffer, and Lance, who was honored as Best Chairman, the awards recognized a wide range of American companies and individuals in more than 40 categories, including Best Overall Company, Best Executive, and Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program. A complete list of Stevie® Award winners in all categories is available at www.stevieawards.com/aba. 

Hailed as “the business world’s version of the Oscars” by the New York Post (April 27, 2005), The American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace.

Nicknamed Stevie for the Greek word “crowned,” the coveted award is designed by the same company that makes the Oscar, Clio, and other major awards.  For the third year in a row, CNN business anchor Ali Velshi served as the awards’ emcee.

Expedia (Most Innovative Company), Bluegreen Corporation (Best Overall Company), and Allyis (Best Executive for CEO Richard Law) were among the other big winners at the 2006 American Business Awards last night. 

Reflecting the pivotal role that business played in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, several companies were singled out for Stevie Awards for their leadership in recovery efforts, including CDW Corporation (Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program), Enterprise Fleet Services (Best Support Organization), and Entergy Corporation (Best Employee Recognition Corporate Video).

“Many Americans accomplish extraordinary things in the workplace everyday, but rarely get the attention they deserve,” said Stevie Awards founder Michael Gallagher. “We hope that the Stevies inspire people at all levels of American business to recognize and honor outstanding work.”

More than 1,500 nominations were submitted for The 2006 American Business Awards. Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs selected Stevie winners from among the Finalists. Finalists were selected by business professionals nationwide during two months of preliminary judging.

The ceremonies were videocast live on the Internet by HB Group.  They were also broadcast on radio, commercial free, by the Business TalkRadio Network.

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in three programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, and The Stevie Awards for Women Entrepreneurs.  Honoring companies 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.

Premier Sponsors of The 2006 American Business Awards include The City of Toronto, Pitney Bowes, ValueVision Associates, RealLife HR, and the Professional Society for Sales & Marketing Training.  Media sponsors include CIO Decisions, CRMAdvocate, Human Resource Executive, ProductionHub.com, and Selling Power. 

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