Awards for women: LA businesswomen and community leaders honored

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, April-May, 2004

National Association of Women Business Owners--Los Angeles recently recognized nine women for business achievements and contributions to the LA area, at the Hall of Fame Luncheon.

The following awards and their recipients were recognized:

* Leadership Award: Toni Erickson Knight, founder and chief executive officer of WorldLink, one of the country's fastest growing full-service media sales firms.

* Legacy Award: Leilani Lattin Duke, director of Reading By 9, the Los Angeles Times' five-county child literacy initiative.

* Corporate Partner of the Year Award: American Honda Motor Co., represented by Anthony Piazza, assistant vice president of human resources and administration the company was recognized for its commitment to business operations that reflect the diversity of the communities in which it sells products and for rewarding the hard work, skill, and quality of women-owned firms with business opportunities.

* Advocate of the Year Award: Cynthia Amador, president and chief executive officer of CHARO Community Development Corp., a community based nonprofit organization that offers business counseling, entrepreneur training, and access to business and mortgage loans to underserved Los Angeles minority and women owned businesses.

* Inspiration of the Year Award: Valerie Sobel, founder and president of Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization that enables single mothers of children with life-threatening illnesses to care for their children full-time by relieving financial burdens.

* Hall of Fame Inductee: Madelyn Alfano, owner of Maria's Italian Kitchen, an Italian restaurant chain with ten locations in the Los Angeles area.

* Hall of Fame Inductee: Donna Andrews, president of Lee Andrews Group, Inc., which provides technology, environmental, and public affairs consulting services to large scale public-private partnership projects.

* Hall of Fame Inductee: Denise DeMan-Williams, president and chief executive officer of Bench International, an executive search and consulting firm serving the healthcare industry.

* Hall of Fame Inductee: Billie Greer, founding principal of Greer/Dailey/Minter, a Los Angeles-based public affairs consulting firm.

National Association of Women Business Owners-Los Angeles strives to propel women entrepreneurs into economic, social, and political spheres of leadership. Founded in 1979, NAWBO-LA is one of the largest and fastest-growing chapters of NAWBO.

NAWBO-LA Enterprise Institute is a charitable foundation dedicated to increasing access to education and training, fostering entrepreneurial leadership, and stimulating economic development among women business owners.

NAWBO LA is located at 900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA, 90071, and can be reached at 213-622-3200 or at www.nawbola.org.