A look at people, companies and institutions receiving awards, accolades, grants and other honors
State Senator Tom Harman, R-Huntington Beach, recognized Sandra Segerstrom Daniels as the 35th Senate District Woman of the Year. Daniels was given the award at the Festival of Children opening gala. The Woman of the Year award honors women making extraordinary contributions to their communities.
San Clemente-based Skin Elements USA LLC was awarded the Personal Care Product Merit Award at the Nutrition Business Journal’s annual chief executive summit. Skin Elements was recognized for its Soleo Organics product, which is a chemical-free sunscreen.
Alison Holman, an assistant professor in University of California, Irvine’s program in nursing science and a health psychologist, has been selected to receive a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Award. The award comes with a grant that she will use to study genes in patients who have suffered heart damage after traumatic events. Holman is one of 12 nurse educators to receive the three-year, $350,000 award.
Irvine’s LPA Inc. received a design award from the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute for its architectural design and engineering work at the College of Education at California State University, San Bernardino.
Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo honored four employees at its Values in Action Awards. Lars Galuppo, the hospital’s director of construction, was the Dignity Award recipient. Long Pham, a senior business analyst, received the Service Award. Cherie Fox, a charge nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit, won the Excellence Award, and George Avila, manager of healthy communities, received the Justice Award.
Linda Hoitt, an Orange County Small Business Development Center business consultant, was named one of six 2010 California “State Stars” by the National Association of Small Business Development Centers. The group recognized Hoitt for her performance and contribution to the small business development program.
The California Landscape Contractors Association of Orange County awarded three landscape contractors with a Beautification Special Award. Bemus Landscape Inc. of San Clemente, Mission Landscape of Irvine and Bruce Wayne Co. of Irvine were honored for their work on various projects.
Tustin-based HKA Inc. was honored with three awards from the Orange County Public Relations Society of America. The awards were first place in media relations for client Susan G. Komen for the Cure, first place in community relations for work for Farmers & Merchants Bank, and the Award of Excellence for work for Costa Mesa’s Torelli Realty.
Children’s Hospital of Orange County nursing director Jill Fargo received the NurseWeek Excellence Award for Management. Fargo oversees CHOC’s medical and surgical units and was honored for her exceptional management of nursing and patient care services.
Keith and Taco Cowan, owners of TeamLogic IT in Mission Viejo, have been named Franchisees of the Year by TeamLogic Inc. for their success and support of their fellow franchisees. TeamLogic provides computer services and network support for small to midsize businesses.
Mathnasium Learning Centers recognized Kapil Mathur, owner and director of Mathnasium centers in San Clemente, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Niguel and Orange, with its 2010 Best Marketing, Best Innovation and Management System awards. He received the awards for his creative use of events and promotions including the Math Olympiad and his involvement with the Orange County Math Council’s Math Field Day.
Jan Hickenbottom, vice president of association bank services at First Bank and Trust in Newport Beach, received the California Associa-tion of Community Man-agers Lifetime Achieve-ment Award. One of nine founding members of the group and the owner of Condo Consulting Ser-vices in Irvine, Hicken-bottom has provided community association management services for more than 20 years.
The California Society of Certified Public Accountants awarded Gary Capata, a Laguna Niguel accountant, its Public Service Award. Capata has been an accountant for more than 30 years and has been on the Laguna Niguel City Council since 2004. He also serves on Dana Point’s Ocean Institute board and the Orange County Fire Authority board.
