[May 17, 2007] Finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award in Greater Los Angeles Announced Tweet LOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)-- Ernst & Young LLP has announced the finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) 2007 award in the Greater Los Angeles area. This year's finalists were selected from over 100 nominations received by an independent judging panel composed of area business, academic and civic leaders. Award winners will be announced at a gala event on Tuesday, June 26, at The Beverly Hilton. "These finalists exemplify the outstanding business talent present in our community," said Tony Radaich, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program director for the Greater Los Angeles area. "We are proud to honor them as leaders who nurture economic growth, innovation and the American dream." The Greater Los Angeles finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2007 award are: -- Elliot Sainer, President & CEO, Aspen Education Group -- Joseph Badame, COO and Martha de la Torre, President, El Clasificado -- Mark Stagen, President & CEO, Emerald Health Services -- Markham Goldstein, President & CEO, Entertainment Partners -- Philip Asherian, CEO, ESI Enterprises -- Matt Wagner, CEO, First Community Bank -- Loi Nguyen, Founder and Vice President of Technology, Inphi Corporation -- Eric Kurtzman, CEO and Jonathan Carson, President, Kurtzman Carson Consultants LLC -- Matt Coffin, President, LowerMyBills.com -- James Montgomery, CEO and Michael Montgomery, President, Montgomery & Co., LLC -- Robert Howard-Anderson, President & CEO, Occam Networks, Inc. -- Lawrence Ng, CEO, Oversee.net -- Li Yu, President & CEO, Preferred Bancorp -- Carlton Calvin, President & CEO, Razor USA LLC -- Barry Levin, Chairman & CEO, Snak King Corp -- Brent Reichard, Chairman & CEO, The Habit Restaurants, Inc. -- Mark DiPaola, President, Vantage Media -- Bill Phelps, CEO and Rick Wetzel, President, Wetzel's Pretzels Greater Los Angeles award winners will be eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2007 national program. Winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 17, 2007. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 21st year and continues to recognize the leaders and visionaries who are creating and building world-class businesses. Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Sponsors Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are pleased to have Bank of America as the national presenting sponsor, as well as SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as national sponsors. In Greater Los Angeles area, local sponsors include Marsh, Scherzer International and Bowne. Contact Information To make reservations for the awards banquet on June 26, contact Sandra Feldner Vandergriff of Ernst & Young at 213-977-3253 or [email protected] by June 11. Tickets are $275.00 per person. For more information about the awards program, visit www.ey.com/us/eoy. About the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards The Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year(R) Award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006, honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 125 cities and 40 countries. About Ernst & Young Ernst & Young, a global leader in professional services, is committed to enhancing the public's trust in professional services firms and in the quality of financial reporting. Its 114,000 people in 140 countries pursue the highest levels of integrity, quality, and professionalism in providing a range of sophisticated services centered on our core competencies of auditing, accounting, tax, and transactions. Further information about Ernst & Young and its approach to a variety of business issues can be found at www.ey.com/perspectives. Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, a U.K. company limited by guarantee, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited does not provide services to clients. Ernst & Young LLP is the U.S. client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited. Note to Editors: Media are invited to attend the awards banquet for interview and photo opportunities. Please call Sandra Feldner Vandergriff at 213-977-3253 as soon as possible to request a complimentary reservation. Press credentials must be presented. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]