At an awards gala Thursday night in Tampa, EY announced the 13 winners for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 Florida Program. This group of leading entrepreneurs was selected by an independent judging panel made up of previous winners of the award, CEOs, investors and other regional business leaders
“This year’s winners have not only taken their companies to the top, but they have also acted as mentors to their employees and made impressive contributions to the community,” said Greg Rosica, EY Entrepreneur of the Year program principal.
The winners included six South Florida entrepreneurs, including the only two female entrepreneur winners:
Distribution and Manufacturing
Angel Alvarez – ABB Optical, Coral Springs
Financial Services
Kent Ellert – Florida Community Bank, Weston
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Nestor Plana – Independent Living Systems, Miami
Hospitality & Leisure
Michelle Fee – Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, Coral Springs, FL
Real Estate & Construction
Vincent Signorello – Florida East Coast Industries, Coral Gables, FL
Services
Ellen Latham – Orangetheory Fitness, Fort Lauderdale
The prestigious awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. A list of all 13 award recipients is attached or can be viewedhere.
Regional award winners are eligible for consideration in the national competition in November in California.