The Placer County Economic Development Board is seeking nominations for awards it presents each year to recognize outstanding contributions to the county’s economic success.

The awards honor private-sector and public-sector contributions to local economic development. They will be handed out at the board’s 20th annual Economic Development Summit Breakfast to be held Thursday, March 31, 2011 at Sun City Roseville.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the awards is February 1.

Candidates should be outstanding companies, organizations or individuals other than elected officials who have contributed to the county’s economic success during 2010.

Possible contributions include activities that:

* Generated new tax revenue or resulted in the creation or retention of jobs in rural, suburban or urban areas;
* Aided downtown or community revitalization;
* Developed or promoted tourism, including agricultural tourism;
* Contributed to technology-led or university-linked economic development;
* Led to entrepreneurial achievements or assisted emerging industries;
* Contributed to historic-preservation efforts;
* Used green energy or clean technologies;
* Made exceptional contributions to business attraction, retention or expansion; or
* Incorporated best-practice activities or projects that benefitted Placer County’s economy and can serve as a model for others.

Nominations will be judged on contributions in such areas as innovation, transferability, secondary benefits and the long-term development of Placer County’s economy. The judges also will look for community impact; participation in collaborative partnerships; and measureable impacts on the area’s jobs, investment, and revenue generation.

At this past year’s Economic Development Summit, the 2009 Public Sector Awards went to The Placer County Vintner’s Association for the commitment and dedication its members have displayed promoting the County’s burgeoning wine industry; Sierra College’s new Solar Energy Technician Programs for helping fill the need to have a skilled workforce in the rapidly growing energy field; and Sandra Scott, the director of grant development and career technical education at Sierra College, for her effectiveness serving as a liaison between the college and both the business community and local government agencies.

The 2009 Private Sector awards went to three Colfax businesses: Fox Barrel Cider Co., Basement Wines and Main Street Pizza, for contributing to the local tax base, creating jobs, supporting downtown revitalization, helping promote tourism and aiding historic preservation efforts; and to Steve Fassler and his fast-growing company, Tech-Ed Networks, for their contributions to the economic growth of Placer County and for a track record of community involvement that includes donating refurbished computers to emancipated foster youths attending Sierra College.

Also in 2009, the board bestowed an Education Award upon William Jessup University – for the university’s rapid expansion since it moved from San Jose to Rocklin in 2004 and for being a major contributor to economic growth in Placer County.

The Economic Development Board is an advisory body that assists the Placer County Office of Economic Development with its business attraction and retention efforts and the county with its film-promotion program.

The board includes representatives from the Placer County Board of Supervisors; the town of Loomis; and the cities of Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville. It also has members who represent agriculture, education, utilities, manufacturing, and tourism and will soon add a healthcare industry representative.

For nomination forms or more information, call the Placer County Office of Economic Development at 530-889-4016 or send an e-mail to econdev@placer.ca.gov.

Completed nominations and background materials such as biographies and press clippings may be e-mailed to Economic Development, sent by fax via 530-889-4095 or mailed to the Office of Economic Development at 175 Fulweiler Ave., Auburn, CA 95603.