WBE

Arcilia Acosta

John Young, president and CEO, Energy Future Holdings, presents a WBE award to Arcilia Acosta, president and CEO, CARCON Industries.
Arcilia Acosta is president/CEO of CARCON Industries, a full-service construction firm based in Dallas, with offices in Houston and San Antonio. She is also founder and CEO of Southwestern Testing Laboratories Engineers, which provides geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and environmental consulting. Both firms have been involved in major Dallas-Fort Worth construction programs, including the 27-mile light rail projects for Dallas Area Rapid Transit. CARCON is currently the construction manager of terminal renovations at DFW International Airport.

Sharon Hoffman Avent

Spencer Dickinson, managing director, aircraft programs and procurement, American Airlines, presents a WBE award to Sharon Hoffman Avent, president and CEO, Smead Mfg.
Sharon Hoffman Avent is president and CEO of Smead Manufacturing Co., a leader in office filing products and records management solutions. Based in Hastings, Minn., and woman-owned since 1955, Smead is recognized as one of the largest privately held and one of the largest women-owned companies in the state. Avent has received significant attention for her business acumen and dedication to community. She received the Corporate Visionary Award from Office Depot and has been named the Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Sharon Evans

Lynn Scott, board member, American Institute of Diversity and Commerce, presents a WBE award to Sharon Evans, CEO, CFj Mfg.
Sharon Evans is president & CEO of CFj Manufacturing, an international promotional company that specializes in a broad range of employee recognition services. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, CFj Manufacturing has offices around the globe and serves many Fortune 500 corporations. In addition to employee recognition, CFj provides branded merchandise programs, base manufacturing, online catalogs and gift card programs. Evans serves as a member of the global marketing team for the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. She also sits on the board of directors for the Women’s Business Council – Southwest.

Betty Manetta

Pete Silva, senior director, fleet procurement, PepsiCo, presents a WBE award to Betty Manetta, president and CEO, Argent Associates.
Betty Manetta is the president and CEO of Argent Associates Inc., a managed services company with a unique ecosystem that combines supply-chain intelligence with technical support to provide a new business experience and value to its customers and their customers. With offices in Edison, N.J., and Plano, Texas, Argent Associates also focuses on supply-chain innovation, helping customers expand their supply-chain capabilities through intelligent M2M applications. Manetta takes part in the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, mentoring women business leaders of Afghanistan and Rwanda.

Tara Abraham

Tara Abraham, chairman and co-CEO, Accel Inc., accepts her award from Craig Eppling, regional manager, communications, General Motors.
Tara Abraham is the chairman and co-CEO of New Albany, Ohio-based packaging company Accel Inc. Her entrepreneurial drive was sparked 19 years ago, when, as a procurement specialist for a national retail chain, she couldn’t find a packaging company to meet her standards for quality and timely delivery. She founded Accel in 1995, growing it from a 1,200-square foot studio to an award-winning company serving major companies in the personal care and beauty, pharmaceutical and health care, and food and beverage sectors. In 2011, Accel moved to a 517,000-square-foot facility and added 400 new jobs to the New Albany area. Ms. Abraham has served on the board of directors of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, chaired the WBENC Forum and co-chaired the 2012 National Conference & Business Fair. She was appointed in 2011 to the National Women’s Business Council, where she served as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners. She was the recipient of the WBENC 2013 Applause Award, for helping to expand opportunities for women’s business enterprises on a national and international level. She was also named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and was named a WBENC WBE Star.

Linda Alvarado

Linda Alvarado, president and CEO, Alvarado Construction Inc., accepts her award from Steph Point, founder and president, Point 2 Point Global Security Inc.
Linda Alvarado is the president and CEO of Denver-based Alvarado Construction Inc., a commercial general contractor, construction management and development company she launched in 1976 with a $2,500 loan from her parents. In 1992, she became the first Latin owner in major league baseball when she joined a group that brought the Colorado Rockies team to the Mile High City. Although she endured many challenges in her first jobs in the industry, she persisted and is considered a pioneer, bringing new insight and perspective to the male-dominated construction industry. Her company’s first construction projects were curbs, gutters, sidewalks and bus shelters. Today, Alvarado Construction builds convention centers, high-rise office buildings, hotels, retail centers, sports stadiums and numerous multi-million dollar structures across the U.S. and Latin America. In addition to traveling the country as a motivational speaker, Ms. Alvarado serves on the board of directors of 3M Company, Pitney Bowes and the Mayo Clinic. She assisted in the creation of the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and has opened doors for women following nontraditional paths to success. Ms. Alvarado was the first person to be named the Ultimate Latina in Business by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She was presented with the Horatio Alger Award in 2001 for her philanthropic efforts in improving her community, as well as her perseverance over adversity.

Cheryl Snead

Cheryl Snead, president and CEO, Banneker Industries Inc., accepts her award from Benita Fortner, director of supplier diversity, Raytheon, and chairman of the board, WBENC.
Cheryl Snead is the president and CEO of Banneker Industries Inc., a provider of supply chain management solutions headquartered in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. A mechanical engineer and green belt Six Sigma specialist, she founded the company in 1991 to manufacture precision-machined components, but changed the focus of the firm when she realized that a wide range of industries had a critical need for tailored solutions to supply chain challenges. Ms. Snead is vice chair of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Women’s Enterprise Forum and serves on the WBENC board of directors, as well as AMICA Insurance Company. She is an immediate past director of Bank Rhode Island. Her community activities include serving on the Board of Trustees of Bryant University and as a charter member and officer of the Greater Providence RI Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She travels the country as a motivational speaker advocating for youth, minority and women empowerment. Her business and civic accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. She has been named a Women’s Business Enterprise Star by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and the New England Businesswoman of the Year by Bryant University’s Women’s Summit. Banneker Industries was named the National Subcontractor of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2008.

Jo Ann Brumit accepts from Lynn Scott

KARLEE Co. Inc., Garland, Texas. A pioneer in the male-dominated world of manufacturing, Jo Ann Brumit is CEO and chairman of woman-owned KARLEE.
The company manufactures machine parts and sheet metal fabrications and performs integrations for a wide range of clients, including those in the communications, defense, aerospace and medical fields. Brumit joined KARLEE in 1982 with a commitment to create a global organization focused on quality and has continuously led the company to new heights.

Sharon Castillo accepts from Theresa Harrison

SB Services Inc., Grayslake, Illinois. Sharon Castillo is the founder and principal of SB Services Inc., a management consulting company focused on business process improvement with expertise in supplier diversity and corporate sustainability. Before launching SB Services, she gained a wide range of experience and skills while working for a Fortune 500 company and several small consulting firms. Castillo is a globally recognized public speaker on supply chain issues, including supplier diversity.

Diane Sears accepts from Billie Bryant Schultz

DiVerse Media LLC, Orlando, Florida. An outspoken advocate for women-owned businesses, Diane Sears is founder and president of DiVerse Media LLC, where she assists clients with marketing strategy projects, including nonfiction books, research, white papers, event planning, online marketing and social media. The company has helped write and edit more than 75 books on business, entrepreneurship, human resources and self-improvement. Sears is the author of the book “Tapping Your Inner Entrepreneur: Making the Move from Employee to Business Owner.”

Terri Quinton accepts from Walter Johansen