- Tucson Electric Power: The company presented TEP BrightEE Awards to 14 customers and contractors who achieved significant energy savings by participating in the company’s cost-effective energy efficiency programs. The savings help TEP work toward the goals in Arizona’s Energy Efficiency Standard, which requires utilities to achieve cumulative energy savings of 22 percent by 2020. Customers participating in TEP’s EE programs have saved more than 1 million megawatt-hours — enough energy to power more than 100,000 homes for a year. The winners are: Community Partners of the Year – Nest and HSL Properties Inc.; Program Contractor – Hamstra Heating and Cooling, Inc.; Demand Response – Amphitheater School District; Homebuilder of the Year – Pulte Homes; Non-Profit Organization – Vail Christian Church; Private/Charter Schools – Academy of Tucson; Public School District – Flowing Wells; Small Business – Trader Joe’s; Small Business – Quik Mart; Large Business/Government – Pima County Government; The Big Picture Award – Raytheon; Sustainability Partners of the Year – Fort Huachuca.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona: Literacy Connects has received $2,500 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona to bring the Reading Seed program to 70 children at Nash Elementary. Literacy Connects, recruits and trains volunteer Reading Seed coaches from the community to assist children who are reading below grade level in grades K-3.
- Women’s Business Center of Southern Arizona: The YMCA Southern Arizona program has been awarded the 2017 Women’s Business Center of Excellence and Innovation Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The WBC was selected, among other things, for leveling the playing field for women entrepreneurs through programming such as innovative panel discussions aimed at shattering women’s stereotypes, for making innovation tools accessible to Spanish-speaking communities and for increasing access to capital for its clients. The WBC of Southern Arizona was the top center of excellence in the region that includes Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.
- Allstate Foundation: The volunteer work of Tucson Allstate exclusive agency owners helped secure a total of $14,000 in grants to support 12 organizations in the Tucson area: Tucson Museum of Art, YMCA of Southern Arizona, Basis Schools Inc., Educational Enrichment Foundation, Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc., Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, Junior Achievement of Arizona, Marana Rotary Foundation Inc., Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc., Orange Grove Middle School Family Faculty Association, Community Food Bank Inc., and Regis University.
Submit items to business@tucson.com; please use “Biz Awards” in the email subject line and include photos in JPEG format.
