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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Colorado BioScience Association Celebrates 2011 Industry Standouts
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The Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) honored the outstanding bioscience companies and individuals in the state during its 9th Annual Awards Dinner at the Downtown Denver Embassy Suites. The CBSA's Annual Awards program showcases the significant achievements in the state's bioscience industry throughout the year.

Recipients of 2011 awards include:

Lifetime Achievement Award - Brian, Greg and Jeff Baldwin
Brian Baldwin founded Baxa Corporation in 1975 and grew the company steadily over the succeeding 36 years along with the leadership of sons Greg and Jeff. Creating technology that saves patient lives, Baxa Corporation provides innovative, solution-based technologies for fluid handling and delivery. Its systems and devices promote the safe and efficient preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of fluid medications. Visit: http://www.baxa.com

Company of the Year - LABS Inc.
LABS, Inc. has grown to service clients across many healthcare industries over the past 30 years. Recently, they added a Cell and Molecular Biology Department to their already growing business. Labs Inc. has been the market leader in laboratory testing for Infectious Disease, Microbiology, and Immunogenetics. Visit: http://www.labs-inc.org

Rising Star of the Year - Ventria Bioscience
Ventria Bioscience is the first company to commercialize recombinant proteins derived from a plant-based manufacturing system. Ventria’s technology platform ExpressTec is a safe, affordable and sustainable manufacturing technology that achieves recombinant protein yield that is many times higher than alternative systems. Visit: http://www.ventria.com

Volunteer of the Year - Timothy Rodell, M.D. President and CEO, GlobeImmune
Timothy Rodell’s leadership and community involvement has greatly contributed to Colorado’s bioscience industry. He contributed significantly to Senator Bennet’s Colorado Competes Report as a member of the Innovation Roundtable. He also has been a voice at the federal level with a seat on BIO’s national Board leading our industry forward. Visit: http://www.globeimmune.com

Educator of the Year - Melissa Reynolds, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Colorado State University
Melissa Reynolds Ph.D. joined the Colorado State University faculty in 2009 as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and is a participating faculty member in the School of Biomedical Engineering. In addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate courses she has organized professional development and entrepreneurship programs and mentored over 25 multidisciplinary students. Her positive leadership and encouragement has been continually evident to her colleagues, funders and the bioscience community as a whole. More about Dr. Reynolds: http://www.news.colostate.edu/Release/5620

Business Partner of the Year - Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young has been a strong partner for over seven years helping to move Colorado’s bioscience industry forward. They have provided excellent service to the industry with expertise and dedication to our companies. Visit: http://www.ey.com

Legislator of the Year - State Representative Cheri Gerou
Representative Cheri Gerou has shown continued support for the bioscience community. She was involved in introducing and enabled the passage of HB 1283 and SB 47 to extend and further fund the Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program. Visit: http://cherigerou.com

Chairman’s Award - Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson’s dedication to advocacy and strategic development as an industry leader has advanced bioscience in Colorado. The company has continually supported CBSA’s efforts to advance the regional bioscience community including the development of CBSA’s Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor Conference and presence on the Board of Directors. Visit: http://www.jnj.com

Chairman’s Award - U.S. Senator Michael Bennet
Senator Michael Bennet has championed Colorado’s bioscience issues at the Capitol on several major issues including spearheading the Colorado Innovation Economy Committee and the “Colorado Competes” report, of which CBSA co-chaired; a CEO roundtable event with FDA Commissioner Hamburg; and The Medical Device Regulatory Improvement Act, introduced to boost Medical Device innovation and FDA reform. Senator Bennet leadership and perseverance continue to benefit the bioscience community as a whole. Visit: http://bennet.senate.gov

Link to the Business Wire newswire
1:06 pm est 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Cat Care Society Is Now a Registered Non-Profit at GivingFirst.org, Participating in the Second Annual Colorado Gives Day December 6th

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Cat Care Society (CCS) has been accepted as a registered non-profit organization at GivingFirst.org, a program of the Community First Foundation. The announcement is made by Diane Stoner, President of the CCS Board of Directors who says, "Cat Care Society is simply thrilled to be a new GivingFirst.org participant. The opportunity to reach patrons and donors beyond the scope of our individual efforts, combined with no processing fees for donations made on Colorado Gives Day December 6th, means more funding will go directly to our important community programs at the Cat Care Society. This support for our appeal efforts is unprecedented.”

This is the second year for Colorado Gives Day and, similar to last year, processing fees will be covered by Community First Foundation, FirstBank and local foundations so that 100 percent of Colorado Gives Day donations go directly to nonprofit organizations such as CCS. FirstBank, Colorado’s largest locally owned bank, has renewed its role as corporate partner of Colorado Gives Day, committing $500,000 to kick off the 2011 campaign including $300,000 for the FirstBank Incentive Fund. The FirstBank Incentive Fund will be proportionally allocated across all donations received, increasing the value of each donation. FirstBank is also sponsoring 12 new High Five prizes at $5,000 each.

Link to the PR Web Newswire

Link to the Pitch Engine Social Media Release

12:07 pm est 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Cover Article and National Trade Jounal Placements for Bell Aquaculture by Absolutely PR
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Quoting from the special report in the Indianapolis Business Journal by Sam Stall: "The ISA’s golden boy is Redkey-based Bell Aquaculture, the state’s only industrial-scale fish farming outfit. While Indiana’s aquaculture industry produces only 1 million pounds of fish annually, expansion plans at Bell will double that number by next year. And the technology the company is developing could pave the way for even higher production. Put simply, company officials have figured out how to raise their fish—yellow perch—indoors under highly controlled conditions, just as chicken and hog farmers do. The company’s plant raises 1.8 million fish annually. That number will balloon to 3 million when a $5 million expansion wraps up in 2012. To no surprise, Bell President Norman McCowan is bullish on Indiana’s aquaculture potential, believing that the state (and his company in particular) possesses the three things necessary to make a go of it: sustainable technology, readily available food (soybeans) and water, and funding." Subscribe to the IBJ

Bell Aquaculture is featured in the current edition (Volume 10, Issue 4 2011) of Fish Farming News - Aquaculture's National Newspaper. Quoting from the article by FFN Contributing Writer Brian Robbins: "'Vertically integrated' is a phrase that Bell uses frequently in describing itself: pretty much self-sufficient, relying only on outside suppliers for fee. Other than that, they've built their own little world in five years' time and can definitely call their fish their own, from broodstock and eggs, to harvesting and processing on the other end. With their existing facility, Bell is looking at producing 1.8 million yellow perch in a one-year growout cycle. The new addition that's currently under construction (with plans to be up and going by October) will add another 3 million yellow perch a year to Bell's forecast. But wait - it doesn't stop there: Bell's next expansion will boost that number significantly, with the company hoping to have the capacity to handle an additional 7.5 million perch by 2013." Link to FFN for subscription details

Link to the Bell Aquaculture News Feed Blog
5:37 pm edt 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Medivance® Inc. Arctic Sun® Products Are the Preferred Choice of the top-10 of the U.S. News & World Report 2011-12 Honor Roll Hospitals
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Building on a track record of serving the nation's top ranked hospitals, Medivance® Inc. is pleased to announce the top-10 of U.S. News & World Report 2011-12 Honor Roll Hospitals are all users of its Targeted Temperature Management™ product, the Arctic Sun®. The announcement was made by Robert Kline, President & CEO, who stated, "It is often said that you are known by the company you keep, and we are honored to be affiliated with the top tier of the U.S. News 2011-12 Honor Roll Hospitals. The Medivance Team is very proud of this achievement."

Body temperature, systematically measured and reported as a vital sign, contributes to maintenance of normal physiology and affects the processes leading to recovery after illness. Intentional manipulation of body temperature has therefore emerged as a key treatment strategy for hospitals. The Medivance® Arctic Sun® brings precision Targeted Temperature Management™ to the highest level of performance available today for intentionally manipulating body temperature as a treatment strategy.

"Our Arctic Sun® 5000 is really the only product in the market that can achieve, with precision, a prescribed order set for temperature management with consistency for each patient. This is of particular importance in the hospital environment for Continuous Quality Improvement , thus it's not surprising the top-10 Honor Roll hospitals make use of our technology," Kline explained.

Link to the PR Newswire

Link to the PRWeb Newswire

Boulder County Business Report: Medivance serves top-ranked hospitals
12:49 pm edt 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

9News Interview: "Conference brings together local innovative life-science companies"
NewGreggHolliFromVideo.jpgCBSA Pres/CEO Holli Reibel interviewed with 9News Business Reporter Gregg Moss on Sept 12 about the upcoming Rocky Mountain Life Science Investor and Partnering Conference in Denver. Presenting companies featured in the interview included PeptiVir, VetDC and Flashback Technologies.

Link to information about the RMLIPC, being held Sept 22 at the Brown Palace

Link to the related 9News.com posting
2:35 pm edt 

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development Awards Funding to Fort Collins-based VetDC
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The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development has selected Ft. Collins, Colorado-based Veterinary Emerging Technologies Development Corporation (VetDC) to receive funding and management assistance. VetDC in-licenses, develops and commercializes technologies to address serious unmet medical needs in companion animals. The announcement is made by Kevin M. Smith, CID4 President & CEO, who says, "CID4 is providing funding as well as access to CID4’s expert management team’s experience and deep network of potential partners and funders to advance VetDC’s cancer-focused veterinary products."

Performance highlights of CID4 and its funded entities to date include:
* $1.25 million in investments by CID4 has allowed an additional $1.3 million in third party financing into Project companies.
* 20 jobs created within 18 months.
* FDA clearance to market Sophono, Inc.’s Alpha 1 abutment-free, bone anchored hearing device in the US and Europe.
* Rapid progression in PeptiVir’s research and development of its universal influenza vaccine.
* Established a continuous application process so technology owners can apply when they are ready (versus the prior model which was limited to semi-annual solicitations).
* Redevelopment of the CID4 website to provide a more interactive experience and provide more benefits to visitors, as well as provide a direct link to technology submissions.

Link to the PR Newswire release

Link to the Pitch Engine Social Media Release

Link to the profile article in Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
4:02 pm edt 

Friday, June 3, 2011

Announced This Week: 2011 Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program
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The Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees has released the names of the five early-career scientists selected for the second class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program. The announcement is made by Edward D. “Ted” White III, Chairman of the Boettcher Foundation Board of Trustees, who said "Our board is very pleased to embark on the second year of this important program, assisting early-career investigators in Colorado to continue their important research."

Launched last year, the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research program fills an unmet need in the state by assisting early-career investigators engaged in biomedical sciences to advance their research. Further, the program honors the tradition of Colorado's Webb and Waring families by investing in science that has the possibility of making significant contributions to human health.

Timothy W. Schultz, President and Executive Director of the Boettcher Foundation, said "Through this program, the Boettcher Foundation has been able to bring resources to an area where funds are currently lacking and where federal and private research programs provide limited support. Early-career investigators quite frequently have a difficult time securing a first opportunity at an independent research effort that will move them out of the laboratory of their mentors and onto their own new and exciting areas of discovery."

The 2011 (second) Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program includes:

* Zhe Chen, Ph.D. , Assistant Research Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, “Axon Guidance During Neural Development”
* Robert C. Doebele, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, “Resistance Mechanisms In Oncogene-Driven Lung Cancer”
* John D. (Nick) Fisk, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, “Bacteriophage Biomedical Devices and Engineering”
* Jing H. Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Immunology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, “Antibody Production and Genomic Instability in B Lymphocytes”
* Tingting Yao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University,
“Ubiquitin-Dependent Signaling”

Individual grant amounts for these research projects range from $200,000 to $300,000. The grant amounts varied based on funding allocated to each institution. Per program guidelines, the minimum budget was required to be $200,000.

Link to the Business Wire Release
12:54 pm edt 

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Colorado Bolsters Funds for New Bioscience Companies, Job Creation
sb47signing.jpgIndustry supporters gathered at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science May 26th to celebrate Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper's signing of The Innovation Reinvestment Act, Senate Bill 47. The announcement is made by Holli Baumunk, President & CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA), who says the bill was initiated during the 2010-11 legislative session by the CBSA in partnership with the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) and sponsored by Senator Rollie Heath, Representative Cheri Gerou, and Representative Jim Riesberg.

"Colorado's bioscience community is simply thrilled that, beginning in 2014, up to $2 million annually will be added to our state's Bioscience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program," Baumunk says.

Video - signing ceremony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC5AuUlete8

Video - Gov Hickenlooper's remarks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuW18m0kRxI

Video - Rep Cheri Gerou's remarks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOkrlER1PWY

Audio Download - Steve Orndorff's remarks:
http://tinyurl.com/OrndorffRemarks

Link to the Business Wire release
11:43 am edt 

Denver's Cat Care Society Celebrates 30 Years of Service to the Community
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The Cat Care Society (CCS) is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year. The announcement is made by Shari Shiffer-Krieger, CCS Executive Director, who says the milestone is being officially commemorated June 5th at Green Gables Country Club with the auction of 17 painted fiberglass cats, each about 28" tall and painted a different theme by local artists.

"Our 30th anniversary art event, 'Tails of the Painted Cats,' has been in progress for more than a year now to raise awareness of our past 30 years of growth and the work going on every day for the cats being helped by our cageless shelter and other related projects in the community," Shiffer-Krieger says.

Link to the 30th Anniversary Milestones pdf

Link to the PR Web newswire

Link to buy tickets for the June 5 Gala Dinner/Auction of the Painted Cats
11:40 am edt 

Monday, January 3, 2011

Absolutely PR Blog Post Links
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Absolutely PR blog posts can be found at these sites:

Denver PR Blogspot

Absolutely PR Blogspot
2:13 pm est 

Monday, August 9, 2010

WebCPA: Holben Hay Balzer name change
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"Holben Hay Husman, Denver, has changed its name to Holben Hay Balzer CPAs LLC in recognition of the influence and contributions of Sheila Balzer. Balzer had been with Husman & Co. since 1994, prior to its merger with the Holben firm in 2001."

Link to WebCPA (Accounting Today)
4:27 pm edt 

Absolutely Public Relations Named PR Agency of Record for Denver-based Accounting Firm Holben Hay Balzer CPAs
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Colorado public relations consulting firm, Absolutely Public Relations, is the PR agency of record (AOR) for the Denver-based accounting firm, Holben* Hay*Absolutely PR Owner/Founder Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, who says, "HHB's PR effort launched in June with its name change announcement from the Holben Hay Husman moniker used during past decade. A PR campaign focusing on Sheila Balzer's appointment to the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA) followed in July." Link to the related messaging:

Name Change Rollout: http://www.prweb.com/releases/Holben_Hay_Balzer/06/prweb4166214.htm

Sheila Balzer CSCPA Board Appointment: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/07/prweb4234394.htm

Link to today's PR Newswire Agency Roster

Link to the PR Web newswire

* For full disclosure, both Holben and Hay are Maggie Holben's first cousins by marriage.
4:26 pm edt 

Sunday, July 18, 2010

DBJ Exclusive July 16, 2010: "‘Fund of funds’ a top priority as Baumunk takes over CBSA"
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"Holli Baumunk took over as president and CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) on July 12. She already was familiar with the state’s biotech drug and medical device companies from working as vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.

A top priority of her first year will be working on creating a “fund of funds,” designed to supply capital to private venture funds investing in startup companies that commercialize Colorado technologies in the biotech drug, medical device, biofuel and clean technology fields. An industry road map prepared for the CBSA in 2008 recommended pushing for a $250 million “fund of funds” similar to ones in other states that use money from state employee pension funds and other investors."

Link to Greg Avery's profile of Holli Baumunk in today's DBJ
4:45 pm edt 

Denver Post June 30, 2010: "Six Colorado biomed researchers land big grants"

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"The Boettcher Foundation today awarded six biomedical researchers from Colorado universities three-year grants of up to $250,000 each.

All six are in early stages of their careers, a time when it is difficult for researchers to get the grants needed to fund scientific work.

The Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program grants are an investment in science that has the potential to make significant contributions to human health, said Timothy W. Schultz, president of the Boettcher Foundation."

Link to the Denver Post

4:40 pm edt 

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Denver-developed Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture System in the national spotlight

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Stop everything you're doing right now and go to the newsstand to pick up a copy of the June Oprah Magazine. Why? Because Mei Zen Facial (Cosmetic) Acupuncture is featured on page 164. Mei Zen is the facial acupuncture system co-developed and taught internationally by Denver's own Dr. Martha Lucas. The photo in O was taken at the practice of Martha's New York student, Dr. Melinda Mingus.

In addition to developing the Mei Zen system, Martha is also the author of Vanity Calamity (http://www.amazon.com/o/asin/0578026295/mockerybird/ref=nosim) -- plus, most importantly, she's my acupuncture practitioner of ten years. Thank you, Martha, for being an acupuncture trailblazer! I admire your passion and dedication to Chinese medicine www.acupuncturewoman.com.


If you're interested in learning more about the Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture System and not in the Denver area for assistance from Dr. Lucas, you can find a MeiZen certified acupuncture practitioner in your area at this link: http://www.cosmeticacupunctureseminars.com/practitioners.html
.

10:21 am edt 

Inspiration from the Great Masters in Communications

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In May had a brush with history, as they say, when I got to participate in a client meeting with advertising legend and now Colorado natural resource (and CU honorary PhD) Alex Bogusky at his relatively new headquarters in Boulder called the Fearless Cottage. He was being shadowed by a writer from Fast Company, so this important personal event for me was duly witnessed by the media. I'm recording it here [originally on Facebook} for posterity (that's what we do now). Plus to give perspective on how this ranks with my other historical brushes of note: 1978, lunch presentation and photo opp with the "Best Print Copywriter Ever" Bob Levenson http://hogd.pbworks.com/Bob-Levinson-DDB-ad-Do-This-Or-Die; 1991, PRSA Counselors Academy Luncheon with "The Father of PR" Edward Bernays http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays; and 2008, lunch (I sat right by him for the entire meal) and photo opp with Guy Kawasaki "New Technology and Startup guru" http://www.guykawasaki.com/about/index.shtml. That's me with Guy K. in the jpg.

Here's to being inspired by the truly high achievers in our professions!

10:15 am edt 

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Bell Aqualculture's Norman McCowan Quoted in WSJ Yellow Perch Article
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"'Perch were born to be fried,' said Fred P. Binkowski, a senior scientist of fisheries biology with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Great Lakes Water Institute. Mr. Binkowski provides Sweet Water and similar operations with technical assistance and baby perch that he breeds under research agreements with the companies.

One company he works with is Bell Aquaculture LLC, an indoor fish farm built in a former farm field near Muncie, Ind.

Bell has invested some $50 million and has been raising perch for three years. It sells about two million fish a year to restaurants and food distributors, said Norman McCowan, president and chief executive. The closely held company expects to turn its first profit next year and eventually produce six million perch annually."

Link to the article
7:02 pm edt 

Bell Aquaculture: Perch producer to sell direct to consumers
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From the March/April issue of Aquaculture North America:

"Indiana's Bell Aquaculture fish-farming company, the United States' largest yellow perch farm, has started selling product directly to consumers.

Until now, the Redkey-based fish producer and processor has been supplying primarily to restaurants. However, it recently announced that it will be selling directly to consumers in order increments of five and 20 lbs.

In February, the company also rolled out its breaded yellow-perch line along with launching its Bell Perch Online Ordering System, announced by president and CEO Norman McCowan."

Clipping pdf
7:00 pm edt 

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Cleantech association starts online career center

BCBRLogo.gif"The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association in Denver has started a Web-based Career Center, connecting job seekers with prospective employers in the cleantech industry.

The job board, powered by JobTarget, serves association members as well as nonmembers."

Link to the Boulder County Business Report
2:45 pm edt 

CCIA launches online career center for companies, job seekers

BrownonGreen.jpg"The Colorado Cleantech Industry Association has launched a new online career center for people looking for jobs in the cleantech industry and cleantech companies looking for workers.

People looking for jobs can post their resumes, including anonymous resumes, and sign up for alerts notifying them of jobs matching their criteria. Cleantech companies can post jobs to the site.

The new career center is available to members and non-members of CCIA."

Link to the posting at BrownonGreen.net
2:41 pm edt 

Friday, April 30, 2010

Denver Business Journal:
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PRSA Colorado President Elisabeth Monaghan contributed another bylined article to the Denver Business Journal today: "PR pros can help executives enter networking circles." In the article, Elisabeth kindly quoted me (Maggie Holben, author of this news feed blog):

"While some executives say they lack the time to network, Maggie Holben, owner of Absolutely Public Relations in Lakewood, says they still can establish professional contacts and enhance their company’s community exposure.

'Good networkers are active in community organizations,' she said. 'They aggressively pursue and serve on committees and hold board positions, including officer stints — even if those organizations center on their children’s school or extracurricular activities. If an executive doesn’t have the time to volunteer, he can readily share his company’s management and accounting talents, and he views this as an opportunity, not a chore.'

Holben also recommends that executives encourage others in their organizations to volunteer their time and talents, sit on nonprofit boards or join professional organizations.

'It is much easier for a public relations professional to nominate an executive for an award or promote a company when the organization invites and is recognized for creating a culture of community involvement,' she said."


Read more at: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/05/03/smallb4.html
5:48 pm edt 

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