EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program Announces Orange County Judging Panel

    IRVINE, CA, February 12, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- From real estate and healthcare innovators to venture capitalists and the founder of a national restaurant chain, this year's judges for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Orange County awards program are an elite collection of movers and shakers - not just for Orange County and the Inland Empire, but the entire nation.

The judges, who will have a chance to meet nominees, will be choosing the semifinalists and finalists for what is recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country. The 15-person judging panel includes five new judges and nine business leaders who were previously category winners.

"If being an entrepreneur is in your blood, this is one of the few programs that really recognizes you for your efforts," said 2003 Orange County Entrepreneur Of The Year winner Steele Platt, the founder of Yard House Restaurants. "The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award is probably the biggest award I'm ever going to win in my business career - to receive that is really like winning the Oscars."

The nomination deadline for entries from Orange County and the Inland Empire is March 6, 2015, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for June 11, 2015 at The St. Regis Resort Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif.

"It's very important in life to pause occasionally and celebrate your achievements," said Kofax CEO Reynolds Bish, a judge in this year's competition who won the Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2003 as CEO of Captiva Software. "It was really an opportunity for me to look back at my career and my company's development, celebrate what we had accomplished and realize what a monumental effort it had been."

The 2015 Entrepreneur Of The Year Orange County judging panel includes:

Reynolds Bish, CEO
Kofax Ltd.
OC Software Winner: 2003 (Captiva Software)
OC Judge: 2014

Jonathan Ord, Co-founder & CEO
DealerSocket, Inc.
OC B2B Winner: 2014

Steve Layton, Co-founder & Principal
LBA Realty
OC Judge: 2009-2012, 2014

Steele Platt, Retired Founder
Yard House Restaurants
OC Retail Winner: 2003
OC Judge: 2013-2014
National Judge: 2014

Anand Nallathambi, President & CEO
CoreLogic, Inc.
OC Financial Services Winner: 2013
OC Judge: 2014

Bob Holmen, Co-founder & Managing Director
Miramar Venture Partners
OC Judge: 2009-2012, 2014

Craig Boundy, CEO
Experian North America

Dan Lubeck, Founder & Managing Director
Solis Capital Partners
OC Judge: 2013-2014

Heidi Golledge, Co-founder & CEO
CareerBliss
OC Business Services Winner: 2013

Jeff Frieden, Co-founder & CEO
Auction.com
OC Real Estate Winner: 2014

Kim Kovacs, Managing Director
Arroyo Ventures

Liz McKinley, Founder & CEO
Pinnacle Petroleum, Inc.
OC Distribution & Manufacturing Winner: 2010
OC Judge: 2014

Michael Hajeck
Retired Founder, SiliconSystems
Retired Sr. VP & GM, Western Digital
OC Technology Winner - 2008
OC Judge - 2012-2013

Reggie Gilyard, Dean
Chapman University, The George L. Argyros
School of Business and Economics
OC Judge: 2013-2014

Steve Plochocki, President & CEO
Quality Systems, Inc.
OC Health Sciences Winner: 2002 (InSight Health Services)
OC Judge: 2003-2005, 2009-2012, 2014
National Judge: 2010-2011

All regional honorees are invited to the Entrepreneur Of The Year national gala on November 14, 2015 in Palm Springs, Calif., and the national winner will compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in Monaco the following June.

Awards criteria
Business leaders eligible for consideration include not only company founders, but also leaders who have transformed an existing business, multi-generation family businesses and both public and private company CEOs. The nominee's company must be at least two years old and he/she must be in the leadership position for at least two years. Nominate someone you know or nominate yourself. There is no fee to enter. Information is available at http://www.ey.com/us/eoy/oc.

Sponsors
Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP Americas and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In Orange County, sponsors include: Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Co., Union Bank, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, Smart Business, Merrill Datasite, Scherzer International and HKA, Inc. Marketing Communications.

Contact information
To receive more information, including nomination forms, contact: Kathy Beckman, EY, 18111 Von Karman Ave., Suite 1000, Irvine, CA 92612, (949) 437-0236, [email protected].

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries.

About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US.

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