Entrepreneur of the Year Winners Announced, Reception at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The winners of the 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year awards have been announced and will be honored at a reception Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Bryant Conference Center on The University of Alabama campus.

The awards are part of the observance of Entrepreneurship Week 2012 to be held Feb. 20-23. The observance includes a proclamation from Gov. Robert Bentley recognizing entrepreneurs as an important source of economic innovation.

The reception and the awards ceremony will be at the Bryant Conference Center. State Rep. John Merrill, a graduate of The University of Alabama, will be master of ceremonies. Merrill served as president of the UA Student Government Association, has worked at Randall Publishing Co., the Tuscaloosa Industrial Development Authority, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education.

This year’s winners are:

High School Entrepreneurial Educator

Terri Sellers, Hueytown High School, Hueytown

Sellers has taught entrepreneurship to high school students in Alabama for more than 25 years. Since 1980 she has taught a curriculum that always includes either a section or an entire course in entrepreneurial studies. Some of the students from her early teaching years have gone on to establish successful ventures, and they attribute their inspiration to Sellers. Her entrepreneurship students engage in service-learning projects, and they operate actual businesses such as a consignment shop, a coffee shop and a repair business. Sellers has been actively engaged with Junior Achievement, and she is a successful grant writer. Her students have competed and won state recognition for business plans they developed and entered into statewide competition in multiple years.

Social Entrepreneur of the Year

Marsha Sprayberry, Founder Project Blessings, Tuscaloosa

Sprayberry’s nominators noted that after the April 27, 2011 storms, Project Blessings was a primary first-responder providing services around the clock. In addition to home repairs, Sprayberry and her team opened an all-volunteer-staffed relief center and drove desperately needed supplies into underserved rural counties.  No one was turned away empty-handed, and as the urgent demand for home repairs escalated, the group completed one project after another.

Prior to the April 27 disaster, Project Blessings was a source where homeowners could turn for help in repairing dilapidated houses and improving the quality of life for their families. Today, Project Blessings is firmly established as a nonprofit organization that remains true to its mission and proven record of service to our fellow citizens.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Chris Koerner, founder and owner of Phone Restore, Huntsville

Koerner started his telephone repair business while he was still a student at The University of Alabama.  Through leadership and successful business planning his business has expanded from one location on 15^th Street in Tuscaloosa to six locations—five in Alabama and one in California—in only two years. He has had business setbacks. For example, the April 27 tornado destroyed his 15^th Street location in Tuscaloosa, but he has remained optimistic and kept moving forward. Koerner is a person of exceptional entrepreneurial acumen who prides himself on professional, fast service in a niche market with a growing demand.

Female Entrepreneur of the Year

Kelly Bownes, founder and owner of MedPlan, Birmingham

MedPlan Recruiting Inc. is a physician recruitment and medical staff planning firm founded by Kelly A Bownes.  Successful entrepreneurs exhibit exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, and her nominator notes that her business success comes because she understands the unique needs of both the individual physicians and the recruiting hospitals and physicians’ practices, allowing the best match for both entities. Her keen industry insight is the foundation for her relationships and her success. She has been a trailblazer in her industry and is an excellent role model and mentor for budding women entrepreneurs at her alma mater, The University of Alabama. Her Birmingham-based business recruits in all 50 states and has been successful for more than 25 years.

Allen Henry, clinical professor of management at The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce, and chief executive officer of Park Transfer and Storage Inc., of Tuscaloosa, is coordinating the UA observance.

The week’s activities will start Monday, Feb. 20 with a student concept business pitch competition. Winners of the competition will be recognized at the award ceremony Thursday.

Tuesday will be devoted to student entrepreneurship activities, among them a social entrepreneurship concept pitch, via student-produced videos, the debut of an Entrepreneurship Week promotional video, and an evening panel about social entrepreneurship.

Wednesday, Feb. 22 and Thursday, Feb 23 will be devoted to activities aimed primarily at the business community.

On Wednesday morning, a breakfast for owners of local small businesses who would like to do business with The University of Alabama will be held in the North Recruiting Room of Bryant Denny Stadium. Managers from UA’s purchasing department will be on hand to answer questions and give advice. No fee will be charged, but pre-registration is required.

On Wednesday afternoon, a panel of speakers will discuss their experiences in starting a successful small business. The free event will be from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Lecture Room at the Child Development Research Center. Students and others from the UA community, as well as the public, will be invited. The scheduled speakers are Brittney Brown, Belladora LLC; Mick Wright, Game Day Tents LLC; and Whitney Hough, Applied Touring LLC.

Thursday, Feb. 23 will be devoted to entrepreneurial education that will include family business seminars, an innovation workshop, and a wine and cheese reception, followed by the awards ceremony and banquet.

The educational seminars will begin at 10 a.m. at the Bryant Conference Center and conclude at 3 p.m. and will include lunch. Topics include “Profitable Growth through Innovation” and “Successful Family Business Growth Cycles.” A fee of $199 will be charged for the workshop and will include a reception at 5:30 p.m. and the awards ceremony and banquet at 6:30 p.m.

The fee for the awards ceremony and banquet, if purchased separately, is $49.