We’re baaaaack!!  Did you miss us?  It’s time once again for the Innovation Awards, presented by Lott + Barber (for the second year in a row). As we hope you remember, the Innovation Awards is all about recognizing, encouraging and celebrating innovation in business, non-profit, education, government and sustainability. 

As most of you may recall, last year’s event was quite the spectacle, bringing both torrential rain and 500 of Savannah’s movers and shakers in a grand event that quite literally brought the house down at the Historic Roundhouse.  As Forrest Lott, principal of Lott + Barber put it, “We can’t wait to see how this year’s Innovation Awards turns out. We’re still talking about last year - the record crowds, the epic showing of Savannah’s creative businesses, and of course the TCCa Typhoon of 2008. Here’s hoping this year is at least half the party.”  Indeed!

Yes, the 2008 event was seriously soaked as a storm of biblical proportions blew in and out in less than 24 hours. You all came anyway (to our great surprise and delight), demonstrating just how important a cause this is to many. We think we have all earned a starry sky this year, but just in case, we are prepared. (Seriously, we are.)

This year, we’re switching it up again. On Thursday, October 22, we will be “taking it to the street” -
Broughton Street, to be exact - blocking off the street in front of SCAD’s Trustees Theater for cocktails, conversation and hors d’oeuvres. The awards presentation will follow inside the Theater promptly at 8pm and is sure to be another great showing of the best and brightest Savannah has to offer.

And, in an effort to lower the barrier for entrepreneurs and small business owners, TCCa and Lott + Barber are providing our own little “stimulus package” and have lowered the ticket price from last year by 1/3rd to $50 per person, if purchased before October 1st. ($60 if purchased afterward.)  Oh, but there is more: This year, we’re giving away a “golden ticket” (or two, rather).  That’s right 2 free tix up are up for grabs! For your chance to win 2 FREE tickets to this year’s event, visit innovation.thecreativecoast.org/goldenticket and enter the code “innov8″.

Of course, none of this can happen without support, and we have an impressive group of community-minded “award” sponsors already secured. Georgia Power has signed on to sponsor the Big Business Award, The Small Business Assistance Corporation is sponsoring the Small Business Award, and The Education, Non-Profit and Government Award will be presented by AT&T. (Sponsorship for the Sustainability Award is still available, as are a few Green Level sponsorships. Holla!)

Our panel of judges this year, drawn from the ranks of business and community leaders from Savannah and across the state and region are as follows:

Small Business – Lynn Vos & Gordon Matthews

Lynn Vos has more than 16 years experience assisting small businesses in Georgia. She has served as area director of the Savannah office of the Georgia Small Business Development Center Network for the past 13 years, providing consulting services to existing and potential small business owners. Vos is a recipient of the Helen V. Head Small Business Advocate of the Year award presented by the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and has been recognized nationally by the Association of Small Business Development Centers.

Gordon Matthews provides advisory services to early stage businesses and is a district governor for Rotary International. He has served as vice president and chief financial officer for Chatham Steel Corporation, a manager at Accenture: Arthur Andersen & Co. and an officer with the U.S. Army.

Business – Craig Lesser & Bill Cathcart

Craig Lesser is a former commissioner of economic development for the State of Georgia, where he was the chief marketing officer responsible for investment, trade and tourism. In this role, he led efforts to recruit new business to Georgia from around the nation and internationally, and his responsibilities included oversight of the state’s small business and entrepreneur programs, efforts to grow existing business as well as marketing Georgia as an ideal destination for filmmakers, the music industry, multi-media companies and tourists. During his tenure, there were almost 500 new investment and expansion announcements, totaling $8 billion and creating more than 40,000 new jobs. Lesser also served as the managing director and head of international public affairs for McKenna Long & Aldridge law firm, expanding the firm’s presence abroad and interfacing with international businesses operating in the United States.

Bill Cathcart has been with WTOC-TV for 24 years, serving as the station’s vice president and general manager for the last 19 years. He has volunteered with the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce for more than a decade – he is a past chairman of the board, a continuing board member and the current chair of the Military Affairs Council. He is the chairman of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum Board of Trustees and serves on the boards of Armstrong Atlantic State University Foundation, the USO/Savannah and Savannah Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Education, Community & Government – State Rep. Ron Stephens & Rev. Micheal Elliott

State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) represents the 164th District in the Georgia House of Representatives and has been a member of the House for 11 years. He is the chairman of the House Economic Development & Tourism Committee and is a member of the Appropriations, Rules, and Ways and Means committees, serving on the Appropriations Committee for eight years. He is the co-author of the first floating homestead exemption in Georgia, now applying in more than 50 taxing districts in the state, which effectively freezes property taxes for the homeowner. It is known as the STEPHENS-DAY Bill HB 350. Before being elected to the House, Rep. Stephens earned a seat as a city councilman in Garden City. He has received numerous awards for his service from various industries and associations.

Rev. Micheal Elliott is the president & CEO of Union Mission, Inc., which exists to end and prevent homelessness in the greater Savannah area. Under his leadership, Union Mission has grown from one facility in 1987 to nine, providing housing and assistance to over 600 people every day; the annual operations budget grew from $40,000 to over $8 million. Previously, Rev. Elliot served as the executive director of the Louisville Coalition for the Homeless in Louisville, KY and as the pastor/director of the Jefferson Street Baptist Chapel, also in Louisville. He has published eight books, one of which was recognized as paperback of the year by the Mid-America Book Achievement Awards. He is the recipient of the Community Heath Leadership Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He was also selected as a community hero to carry the Olympic Torch for the 1996 Olympics.

Sustainability – Scott Boylston & Leesa Carter

Scott Boylston is a professor of graphic design and sustainable design at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and coauthor of the college’s master of fine arts degree in sustainable design. He speaks internationally on issues of design, ethics and sustainability, and continues to design and consult, primarily for non-profit organizations. Before moving to Savannah, Boylston was an art director in a New York City design firm where he developed package designs for cosmetic companies such as Elizabeth Arden, Estée Lauder, and Yves Saint Laurent. During this time, he also ran an environmentally-focused surf wear business. He is a 2008 graduate of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership, a member of the Chatham Environmental Forum and is on the branch leadership of the Savannah chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. He is the author of three books, including the most recent on designing sustainable packaging.

Leesa Carter is the executive director of the Georgia chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Previously, she was the director of consumer education at Renew Life Formulas Inc., a $20 million natural & organic product company. Her other experience includes serving as the national director of field marketing for Wild Oats Markets Inc., a $1 billion natural & organic retailer. She has been a featured speaker at Natural & Organic Food Trade Association conferences.

And finally, The Finalists. Who are the finalists?  Tell us the finalists, you cry!  Soon, very soon.  The judges have turned in their scores and we will be crunching the numbers the rest of this week. Look for an announcement by the beginning of next week.  We’ve got some good ones again this year.

GET YOUR TIX: Tickets are on sale now at innovation.thecreativecoast.org/tickets. Proceeds will be reinvested in ways the TCCa Advisory Board determines match our mission and vision. Last year’s proceeds supported the Savannah Science Seminar, the Savannah-Ogeechee River Science and Engineering Fair, Savannah’s Engineering Academy and middle and high school robotics competitions.

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