Written by: host 9/18/2009 9:51 AM
Washington, D.C. - Carolyn Sawyer, President and CEO of the Tom Sawyer Company, has been named one of the “2009 Top 100 MBE Award Winners.” The annual awards program honors outstanding women and minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Sawyer was chosen for this honor in recognition of her innovation and dedication to help fuel the nation’s economy through these challenging times. Business owners selected for this prestigious award are living their dreams and making significant contributions to their clients, professions, industries, and communities. Winners are also recognized for their active involvement and leadership with business and professional organizations. Nominations for the award are solicited through chambers of commerce, professional organizations, the business community, and the general public. A panel of distinguished judges then had the difficult task of evaluating hundreds of applications for the award. Director Reginald B. Hayes, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was one of several officials who recommended Sawyer for the award. According to Hayes, “Carolyn and her staff exemplify the type of firm that our government needs to carry out our mission. Whether it is a HUD report needed here in Washington or the expansion of a National Disaster Assistance Regional Call Center in South Carolina, HUD knows we can count on Carolyn and the Tom Sawyer team for accuracy, dependability, and a unique dedication to professionalism.” The awards presentation will take place Sunday, November 15, 2009 from 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. at the University of Maryland: Marriott Inn and Conference Center in Adelphi, Maryland. The University of Maryland University College (UMUC), Southwest Airlines, the Maryland Parren J. Mitchell Foundation, and the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs are this year's host organizations. Carolyn Sawyer is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Tom Sawyer Company (TSC). With offices in Washington, DC and Columbia, SC, TSC operates a full service communications firm offering Contact Call Center operations and Strategic Training Initiatives for public outreach, education, and involvement. Sawyer is author of Forget the Glass Slipper, Build Your Own Castle, a survival guide for new business owners and she is featured in Bruno Bettelheim’s The Children of the Dream.