Jonna Ward, CEO and Founder of VIP Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 Award Finalist in Northern California Region

SACRAMENTO, CA – May 25, 2006 – Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) today announced that its CEO and Founder, Jonna Ward, is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year ® 2006 Award for the Northern California Region.  According to Ernst & Young, the awards program was designed to recognize outstanding entrepreneurs on a regional, national and global level who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses.  Ward was selected as a finalist from hundreds of nominations by a panel of independent judges.  Award winners will be announced at a special 20th anniversary gala event on June 16, 2006 at The Fairmont in San Francisco. 

“I am flattered to be honored by such a prestigious program with past winners including the Founders of Home Depot, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Google, and eBay.  I have much to learn and aspire to what they have achieved,” says Ward.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.  Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. 

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 national program.  Award winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 18, 2006.  The overall national Entrepreneur Of The Year award recipient is then considered for the world event held in Monte Carlo.

About the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

The Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses.  The program honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 100 cities and 35 countries.

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About VIP

Established in 1996, Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) is a global technology and outsourcing firm that has provided solutions to over 900 clients in multiple industries as well as federal, state and local government. VIP helps companies challenge boundaries and uncover new possibilities to increase productivity, maximize revenue, improve performance, mitigate risk, and reduce costs. With nearly 1,000 staff companywide, VIP offers expertise in areas of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, SAP Integration and Consulting, Technology Integration and Operations, Talent and Learning Management, Quality Management, and Management Consulting. VIP’s corporate headquarters is located in Folsom, California with offices in Sacramento, Minneapolis, Dallas, Denver, New York City, Alexandria, Houston, and Bangalore, India. More information can be found at www.vipconsulting.com.