“I have faith that every individual wants to improve his life and believe that all people have the opportunity of achieving success in America.  I have always believed that I would have the support of the creator if I used my best honest efforts to succeed in whatever undertaking I became involved in and that teamwork is the basis of success.  I believe that the private enterprise system rewards those with the vision to identify a need and the courage to fill it. “
                        David Dewey Bohannon

Descriptive Summary:
This prestigious award is dedicated to the memory of David D. Bohannon, Founder and Past President of SAMCEDA. The Award is presented to an individual for his or her demonstrated significant leadership and success in business, contributions toward building the local economy, and enrichment of the quality of life of San Mateo County through community service and philanthropy.

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Presented in recognition of the innovation, good management and overall success of a business, or one of its departments or subsidiaries. This award also salutes contributions and service to the community. 

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Presented to a government entity, department, board, commission, special district or non-profit organization, that applies a positive approach to business development by implementing and developing methods to ease and simplify the regulatory process, and/or strives to achieve the county-wide economic vitality. 

Descriptive Summary:
The Clean & Green Award recognizes efforts toward obtaining significant environmental improvement and resource conservation in San Mateo County.  It seeks to award measures of progress toward achieving a healthy environment and an engaged community. Recognizable efforts include: work on energy efficient products, innovative services, and the new clean, green technologies.

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Presented to a business that exemplifies good corporate citizenship and demonstrates a commitment to bettering the greater Peninsula. 

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Recognition of a small businesses’ achievement and contributions stemming from their growth and success in San Mateo County and/or their community.  Impact on the local economy and quality of life in our region is also considered.  A small business is defined as one with fewer than 100 employees.

Descriptive Summary:
Start-up companies face unique challenges in today’s economy.  This award recognizes business efforts during the initial start-up phase and how they meet the associated challenges.  Items for consideration include: entrepreneurial spirit and creativity regarding the products & service being developed, use of financial resources, marketplace partnering, and projected marketing plans for building a customer base and launching the product.