On September 24, 2013 the Northern Nevada Development Authority held their Pioneer Awards event, recognizing new businesses that have relocated to Nevada along with those that have expanded in the past 12 months. This signature event also saw the largest attendance for this event in NNDA history with over 340 celebrating these announcements. In addition to this annual recognition businesses were selected in 9 different categories. For six weeks NNDA collected over 50 nominees in those categories with the winners being announced at the Pioneer Awards Banquet.
On hand for the event were Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and Gerald Gardner, Gov. Sandoval’s Chief of Staff to address the crowd and congratulate the winners. Staff from Senator Reid and Senator Heller’s office were on hand to hand certificates to the winners. Representatives from our State Legislature, Senators Settelmeyer and Hutchinson along with Assemblymen Wheeler and Grady, were also there to lend their support for economic development.
The winners of the inaugural Pioneer Awards are as follows:
- Comstock Award – Innovator of the Year Nevada Rural Housing Authority
- Doc Holliday Award – Best Healthcare Initiative Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties
- Homestead Award – Best Agriculture Initiative Bently Ranch in Minden
- Kit Carson Award - Outstanding Entrepreneur Fran Pritchard of Killer Salsa in Minden
- Mark Twain Award – Best Marketing Initiative No Place Like Home
- Pony Express Award – Best Community Involvement or Project Star Anderson of the Carson Nugget
- Silver Apple Award – Outstanding Education Initiative Tie - Linda Devon and David Steiger of Western Nevada College.
- Silver Spur Award – Most Outstanding Employee Jay Summerville of American AVK in Minden
- Wagon Wheel Award – Best Technology, Product or Patent Sierra Kombucha in Douglas County
The NNDA region is made up of Carson City, Churchill County, Lyon County, Storey County and Douglas County and each of them recognized their business of the year for 2013.
- Douglas County - GE Bently Nevada
- Carson City - Click Bond
- Churchill County - Fallon Auto Mall
- Lyon County - Miles Construction
- Storey County - Tahoe Reno Industrial Center