BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. - MAY 29, 2007 - Bonnie Nijst, CEO of Zeesman Communications, Inc. and president of the National Association of Women Business Owners-Los Angeles (NAWBO-LA), will be honored as the 2007 Women in Business Champion of the Year for her entrepreneurial advocacy during a ceremony to be held tomorrow at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. This prestigious award is part of the annual Small Business Week Awards competition, a joint effort between the Small Business Administration (SBA) Los Angeles District Office and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
"In the Southland, where the development rate of woman-owned entrepreneurship has set the Nation's high-water mark, Bonnie continues to drive the issues of wealth creation for women entrepreneurs," said Los Angeles SBA District Director, Alberto G. Alvarado. "Her actions in the communal and political arena coupled with the successful management of her own company make her, among other things, a paragon of what young women entering the business field should strive to emulate. Bonnie is truly a woman of influence, whose efforts have made an impact on the economic landscape of our great metropolis. We praise her for her spirit of sisterhood and congratulate her as the 2007 Women in Business Champion."
Ms. Nijst's exceptional leadership efforts as president of NAWBO-Los Angeles, as well as with Women Presidents Organization and Women in Communications/Los Angeles, have educated the business community about the power of women in business, leveled the playing field for women-owned enterprises, and created enormous opportunities for the 400,000+ Los Angeles County woman-owned businesses. Her efforts at NAWBO-LA have positioned it as a model organization for the nurturing of the aspirations of all women with dreams of business ownership.
"My selection by the SBA Los Angeles District Office as 2007 Women in Business Champion of the Year continues to validate the importance and relevance of both women's business organizations in general, and NAWBO-LA's mission 'to propel women business owners into economic, social and political spheres of power' in particular," said Ms. Nijst "The opportunity to use my marketing expertise to strengthen the Southern California women's entrepreneurial community through events, professional development, public policy, and partnerships with corporations and government has been an incredible experience."
Ms. Nijst is President and CEO of Zeesman Communications, Inc., an award-winning marketing, advertising and design firm that was founded in 1990. Companies and organizations look to the firm when they need a strategic and creative partner to engage their target audiences and help them meet their business and outreach objectives. The company, which is a certified small business enterprise and is both woman- and minority-owned, works primarily in three practice areas: business to business, lifestyle/hospitality and government/nonprofit.
During her 20-year career, Ms. Nijst has held senior positions in sales, marketing, public relations and communications consulting with market leaders including Medialink Worldwide, the world's largest broadcast public relations company; MCTV (now Medialink Strategic Consultants), Medialink's corporate communications consulting division; PR Newswire, the world's largest private wire service; and Internet Wire (now Market Wire), the largest Internet-distributor of press releases.
Ms. Nijst has counseled hundreds of enterprises on marketing strategy including Toyota, Amazon, Amgen, Apple Computer, Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, and Nike. She is known for her work on the legendary "Intel Inside" campaign where she leveraged outreach via TV and radio, managed the public relations research to benchmark the awareness of the Intel brand, and popularized Intel's consumer education spokespersons, the "PC Dads."
Active in the business community, Ms. Nijst serves as an ex-officio member of the board of directors of the Enterprise Institute, NAWBO-LA's 501(c)3 charitable organization. She is a past president of Women in Communications/Los Angeles and a past Los Angeles board member of the International Association of Business Communicators. She is also a member of the Greater Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council, and the Women Presidents Organization.
ZEESMAN COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Over the past 17 years, Zeesman Communications has established a stellar reputation for strategically developing, creatively designing and efficiently executing everything from standalone design projects to comprehensive and integrated marketing communications programs for organizations in both the public and private sectors. The company's extensive capabilities include qualitative market research, marketing strategy and program development, brand identity and design, advertising, direct mail, email relationship marketing, public relations, websites and collateral. Zeesman's clients have included the City of Los Angeles, Griffith Observatory, Pioneer Electronics, Toshiba, Four Seasons Residence Clubs, the W.M. Keck Foundation, Walt Disney Company, Rock the Vote, the University of Southern California and Goodwill Industries. For more information, please visit www.zeesman.com.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Ms. Nijst is available for interviews. Photos will be provided on request. Please contact Phyllis Grabot, Zeesman Communications, Inc., 805.341.7269.