Nominations open for 50 Leading Business Women program

Since its first class was unveiled in 1997, the Mississippi 50 Leading Business Women program has proven a runaway success. A special offering of the Mississippi Business Journal, 50 Leading Business Women is back again and accepting nominations.

“I personally get such a boost from the 50 Leading Business Women program,” said Ashley Varnes, MBJ account executive. “It is so uplifting to be in the same room with women who are leaders in their industry and their community.”

The alumnae of the program are impressive. Sister Mary Dorothea Sondergroth of St. Dominic Health Services of Jackson, Beth Henry Paxton of Tempo in Jackson, Sandy Holifield of the Economic Development Authority of Jones County in Laurel and the late Melia Peavey of Peavey Electronics in Meridian are just a sampling of the hundreds of businesswomen that have been honored over the years.

This year’s 50 Mississippi 50 Leading Business Women class will be announced in early June.

The class will be honored Aug. 12-13. On Aug. 12, the businesswomen will participate in Girl’s Night Out, a fun event that takes in some of the sights and sounds of the greater Jackson area.

Winners will spend the night at Hinds Community College’s Eagle Ridge Conference Center in Raymond, where the awards program will be held Aug. 13.

In September, the MBJ will issue a special publication that will profile each of the leading businesswomen as well as list all of the program’s past winners.

The top vote-getter of the class will be named Business Woman of the Year. As part of the Mississippi Business & Technology EXPO (Jan. 13-14, 2010, at the Mississippi Trademart in Jackson), all of the women and the Business Woman of the Year will be recognized during the Business Woman of the Year Luncheon scheduled for Jan. 14.

The MBJ is currently taking nominations for this year’s class. (Self-nominations are welcome). The deadline is April 24.

For more information and/or to nominate someone, contact Varnes at (601) 364-1013 or ashley.varnes@msbusiness.com.

Contact MBJ staff writer Wally Northway at wally.northway@msbusiness.com.