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Ernst & Young LLP is pleased to announce the winners of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award in the Rocky Mountain Region.  This group of leading entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of regional business, academic and community leaders.  The winners were revealed at a gala event on June 24, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Denver.

“Ernst & Young believes in the power of entrepreneurship,” said Jim Wilson, Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year Program Director for the Rocky Mountain region.  “These Entrepreneur Of The Year award winners are best in class, and we are proud to honor their outstanding success.”

The Rocky Mountain Region winners for the Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2010 are:

Retail & Consumer Products
•    Trevor Tice, CEO, Core Power Yoga, LLC
Healthcare
•    Jack McClurg, CEO, HealthTrans
Services
•    Anita Padilla-Fitzgerald, President & CEO, MegaStar Financial Corp.
Energy
•    Blake Jones, Co-Founder, President & CEO Namasté Solar
Technology
•    Paul Ford, CEO, NetQuote
Hospitality
•    Kevin Reddy, CEO & Chairman, Noodles & Company

The Entrepreneur Of The Year® program honors entrepreneurs regionally in June, leading up to the national awards in November.  Additionally, venture-backed companies that win an Entrepreneur Of The Year® award regionally are also eligible for the Venture Capital Award of Excellence on a national level.  The overall national US winner then moves on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in June.

This year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 24th anniversary.   The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 135 cities in 50 countries throughout the world.  Awards are given to entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Entrepreneurs are nominated and evaluated by those in each region, including local business, academic and community leaders.

All regional honorees are invited to the national Entrepreneur Of The Year® gala, hosted by Jay Leno, on November 13, 2010 in Palm Springs, California.  The gala is the culminating event of the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.  For more information on the Ernst & Young Strategic Growth Forum, please visit www.ey.com/us/strategicgrowthforum.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year awards are pleased to have the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and SAP America as national sponsors.
In the Rocky Mountain region, sponsors include Faegre & Benson, Clifton Gunderson LLP, JohnstonWells Public Relations, and The Denver Business Journal.

For more information about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy.

About Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year®
Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award makes a difference through the unique way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 135 cities in 50 countries.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 144,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

For more information, please visit www.ey.com.Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young LLP is a client-serving member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited located in the U.S.