Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Spotlights Top Business Development Contributors at 10th Anniversary Eddy Awards

Three Southland business community leaders to be honored for outstanding contributions to economic development in L.A. County

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 16, 2005 -- The head of a Southland real estate company, founder and CEO of the nations largest woman-minority owned staffing agency and the Los Angeles district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration have been selected to receive the 2005 EDDY Awards this year according to Chairman Rodney F. Banks of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). Its for their contributions to positive economic development in the region," he said.

The honorees will receive the awards at the 10th Anniversary Eddy Awards, to be held at 7:30 PM Monday, October 24, 2005 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

This year's recipients are: Richard S. Ziman, Chairman and CEO of Arden Realty Inc., Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder and CEO of Act-1 Group, and Alberto G. Alvarado, District Director, LA District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration.

In addition to serving as Chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based Arden Realty Inc, the largest owner of commercial office properties in Southern California, Ziman also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and has endowed the Ziman Center for Real Estate at the UCLA Anderson School.

Janice Bryant Howroyd is Founder and CEO of Act-1 Group, the largest woman/minority owned staffing agency in the U.S. Howroyd is also on the Board of Directors of Town Hall Los Angeles, the Board of Trustees for Loyola Marymount University and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).

Alberto G. Alvarado is District Director, Los Angeles District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which represents the largest-volume office in the country. Alvarado is responsible for the delivery of SBA programs to more than 11 million people in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. During the past three years the SBA's L.A. office, through its many economic development initiatives, was responsible for the creation and/or retention of approximately 60,000 jobs in the service area.

"These three exceptional people represent what is the best about Southern California," said Banks. "Richard Ziman, Janice Bryant Howroyd and Alberto Alvarado are all dedicated, giving and progressive leaders who bring enormous vitality to our community at a crucial point in our development."

Banks also said L.A. County is the land of opportunity to more than one million small companies and workers. Our honorees this year are working hard to ensure that this land of potential is available to the next generation."

About the Eddy Awards
The Eddy Awards were introduced by the LAEDC in 1996 to celebrate business and community leaders who demonstrate exceptional contributions to positive economic development in the region.

Prior honorees include Liam McGee, Bank of America; Monica Lozano, La Opinión; George Deukmejian, 35th Governor of California; William Huston, Watson Land Company; George Nicholaw, KNX 1070 AM Newsradio; Eli Broad, The Broad Foundation; Tonian Hohberg, FIDM; Tim Leiweke, Anschutz Entertainment Group; Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Stephan Smith, LA Center Studios; James Thomas, Thomas Properties Group; Andrea Van de Kamp, Music Center of LA County; Michael Antonovich, LA County Supervisor; David Baltimore, CalTech; Richard Riordan, Former LA Mayor; Steven Sample, USC; George Graziadio, Imperial Bank ; Beverly O'Neill, Long Beach Mayor; Ed Roski, Majestic Realty Co.; John Bryson, Edison International & Southern California Edison; R. Thomas Decker, Bank of America.

For further event and sponsorship information, contact Naz Keynejad at 310-264-4711 ext. 3.

About the LAEDC
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (www.laedc.org) (LAEDC) is a private, non-profit (510C3) organization, whose mission is to attract, retain and grow businesses and jobs in Los Angeles County. Since 1996, the LAEDC has helped create or retain more than 100,000 jobs, representing $3.5 billion in annual salaries and $64.6 million in tax revenues to support schools and local government.

[Editors note: For advanced media interviews or higher resolution images please contact Aida Mayo or George McQuade at MAYO Communications (www.MayoCommunications.com) 818-340-5300.

###