Tulsa Chamber presents annual Small Business Awards

5.18.2011
Tulsa Metro Chamber honored emerging entrepreneurs and the best in small business at the 2011 Crystal Star Small Business Awards luncheon, May 17 at The Hyatt Regency. Rebecca Manzer, co-owner of Certified Carpet Cleaning & Restoration, was named Small Business Person of the Year.

“We are proud to honor Tulsa’s emerging businesses and small business owners whose entrepreneurial achievements help create jobs, drive product innovation and spur enterprise to improve the Tulsa regional economy,” said Jim Light, chair of the Chamber’s Small Business Council and owner of LaMode Quality Cleaners.

The Small Business Awards luncheon featured a keynote speech by Jim Stovall, best-selling author of “The Ultimate Gift,” president of Narrative Television Network (NTN), the 2000 International Humanitarian of the Year, and a former U.S. Chamber of Commerce businessperson of the year.

The Chamber’s Crystal Star awards are presented annually following a rigorous nomination, application and judging process. The awards were created to recognize that small business is the foundation of the American economy. In the Tulsa area, 84 percent of all businesses are small businesses.

2011 Small Business Award recipients include:
• Small Business Person of the Year: Rebecca Manzer, co-owner, Certified Carpet Cleaning & Restoration, LLC;
• Entrepreneurial Success: Teresa L. Knox, founder and CEO, Community Care College, Clary Sage and Oklahoma Technical College;
• Home-Based Business Champion: Tulsa City-County Library; accepting was Martha Gregory, “Research Wizard” coordinator;
• Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year: Dr. Michael Morris, professor and department head, OSU School of Entrepreneurship;
• Minority Small Business Champion: Margo Gray-Proctor, president, Horizon Engineering Service Company;
• Women in Business Champion: Liz Hunt, CEO, Hunt PR;
• Family-Owned Business: Tom & John Boyce, owners, Airco Service Inc.



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