Compiled by Kelly Ryan
The Irvine Company’s apartments division received the Pillars of the Industry Award for its Village at Irvine Spectrum complex. The award was given out at this year’s National Association of Home Builders gala. The project was designed by MVE & Partners. The project won in the category of Best Mixed-Use Site Plan.
Anthony Geisler was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the University of Southern California. Geisler is chief executive of Santa Ana-based LA Boxing Franchise Corp. Geisler purchased LA Boxing in 2004 and has since expanded the franchise to 100 locations. LA Boxing is a fitness center specializing in boxing, mixed martial arts and sports fitness.
Anne B & #233;lec received the Corporate Social Responsibility Award at the UCI MBA Challenge for Charity gala. B & #233;lec is former president and chief executive of Volvo Cars of North America LLC and now is director of global marketing for Volvo parent Ford Motor Co. She was honored for the automaker’s Volvo for Life Awards program.
Jackie Autry accepted a star on the Anaheim/OC Walk of Stars on behalf of her husband Gene Autry. Autry was recognized for his contributions to baseball and professional sports in the county. In 1961, he became owner of the Angels baseball team. The Walk of Fame honors leaders, entertainers and entrepreneurs who have significantly impacted Anaheim and Orange County.
William Valicenti won an award for corporate design photography in the Photo District News annual competition. Valicenti works in the Anaheim studio of QuadPhoto. He was honored for work he completed on behalf of Neenah Paper. This is his second win in three years.
Kathy Crowder of Newport Coast was recognized as a Design Your Life award winner. Crowder found an investor to help her start her own Molly Maid cleaning business. She now has one of the largest Molly Maid Franchises in the world. The award was given out by Redbook magazine and Silpada Designs.
John Licitra was named teacher of the year at Irvine Valley College. Licitra has been a faculty member since 1991. He created and managed the college’s first transfer/mentor program, Making Transfer Easy. Licitra also was the El Toro Marine base counselor, assisting military personnel and families in pursuit of their educational and career goals. He was nominated by his students for the award.
Laguna Beach High School Science Teacher Steve Sogo received a 2008 Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence in California. Along with the honor, Sogo was given an unrestricted $5,000 grant. The school was given a similar grant. The award is given to teachers who bring creative teaching approaches to class and impact the lives of their students.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange gave a business ethics award to Deborah Proctor and Mike Joseph. Proctor is president and chief executive of St. Joseph Health System and is based in Orange. Joseph is chief executive of Dacor Inc. and is based in Newport Beach.
Anaheim-based Comscape Communi-cations LLC was named Commercial DirecTV Dealer of the Year. The award is based upon the number of customers secured and the company’s commitment to excellence in customer service during the course of the previous year.
Deborah Klemin was given the No. 1 Franchisee of the Year award by Money Mailer LLC. Klemin owns Money Mailer South Orange County. She was recognized for selling the most ads,101 million,out of 300 other franchisees nationwide. This is her fourth consecutive year winning the award.
Sandra Denisac was named Top Producer in Orange County for 2007 and was ranked among six top producers for the Southern California region. Denisac is vice president of commercial insurance at UnionBanc Insurance Services Inc.
Irvine-based advertising firm Rieches-Baird was named to a list of top firms by BtoB Magazine. The firm has been ranked in the Top 25 B2B Agencies list for seven years and was recently named Business of the Year by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce and the city of Irvine.
