Wells Fargo and the National Association of Women Business Owners Recognize Debra Ruh with National Award
For immediate release
(804) 749-8646
info@tecaccess.net
Rockville, VA - June 19, 2007--
Celebrating the continued success of women business owners nationwide, Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO®) recognized Debra Ruh, President and founder of TecAccess, LLC as a ´trailblazing´ woman entrepreneur at the sixth-annual NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award celebration in Atlanta, GA, on June 1, 2007, during an exciting week of events at NAWBO´s 2007 Women´s Business Conference.
The Trailblazer Award recipients were selected from a nationwide pool of applicants based on their companies´ business performance, innovation, growth, and personal service to the community. Together with NAWBO, Joy Ott, regional president for Wells Fargo Bank in Montana and national spokesperson for its Women´s Business Services program, presented the Trailblazer Awards.
"The diverse talent and leadership demonstrated by the Trailblazer Award recipients is inspiring and extends far beyond the walls of their businesses. They are leaders not only in business, but also in their communities. This is why we salute and recognize the contributions of women entrepreneurs nationwide," said Ott. "This year´s winners truly personify what it means to be a ´trailblazer´ and we applaud and thank them for their continued innovation and success."
Founded by Debra Ruh in 2001, TecAccess, LLC provides compliance and accessibility solutions to corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions. Inspired by her daughter, who was born with Down syndrome, Debra recognized that employment opportunities for people with disabilities were rare. Determined to make a difference, Debra utilized her knowledge of information technology and founded TecAccess, which employs a diverse team, many of whom are people with disabilities. Drawing upon the unique experiences of its employees, TecAccess implements and develops creative and accessible IT solutions and ensures that federal agencies comply with Section 508 requirements by developing an infrastructure that is accessible to people with disabilities.
"Receiving such an award among my most valued peers and colleagues is truly humbling," Ruh said to an audience of over 1,000 business leaders during her acceptance speech. "This award is for all of us, and I plan to share it with each and every one of you over the year ahead because as a group of talented women business owners, it is ours together, it belongs to all of us. "Ruh also noted, "I have been very fortunate to work alongside the very best leaders in technology at TecAccess, leaders who just also happen to have disabilities. Over the year ahead, I look forward to working with this team to serve as an inspiration for all." During her speech, Ruh also outlined the TecAccess team´s dedication to using the recognition and support from both Wells Fargo and NAWBO to identify and assist three target areas:
- Our nation´s heroes who are returning home from war with newly acquired disabilities
- Our aging population who are acquiring disabilities for the first time in their lives
- The international community continuing to form relationships that brings accessibility to all
Our nation´s heroes
TecAccess is partnering with government and industry throughout the country to form VetAccess, as evidenced by a very successful program currently in Virginia, known as DVETs, which trains disabled veterans in the technology field and places them in solid position in IT.
Our aging population
TecAccess continues to work with the mature audience, assuring that they have the assistive technology needed, so they too can participate in the world of technology, even as they age.
The international community
TecAccess looks forward to continuing to form relationships with the international community, as evidenced by recent partnership throughout Africa, where services for people with disabilities and assistive technology is just beginning to be explored.
In closing, Ruh explained, "I´d like to once again thank you the entire room, women business leaders as a whole for the hope and inspiration that you have given me to follow my dreams and I hope in some small way I can return the favor and do the same for you."
The other impressive business leaders who joined Debra Ruh as Trailblazer Award recipients included:
Lucy Voves, President and founder of Church Classics & Diplomaframe.com; and Christine Wallace, President and founder of Gracewinds Perinatal Services.
"These unique businesses reinforce the innovation and trailblazing spirit we see so much of in women entrepreneurs," said Carol Kuc, NAWBO president and president/CEO of Complete Conference Coordinators, Inc. in Naperville, Ill. "NAWBO is honored, along with our partner Wells Fargo, to recognize and celebrate their success as they truly uphold and embody the spirit of this award."
Wells Fargo established the Women´s Business Services program in 1995 to build relationships with women business owners and increase access to capital and financial services. Since the program´s inception, Wells Fargo has lent more than $28 billion nationwide to women business owners.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $486 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through more than 6,000 stores and the internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and internationally. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only bank in the U.S., and one of only two banks worldwide, to have the highest credit rating from both Moody´s Investors Service, "Aaa," and Standard & Poor´s Ratings Services, "AAA."
Providing financial products and services to more than 1.5 million businesses with annual sales up to $20 million in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, Wells Fargo is America´s #1 lender to small businesses in total dollar volume according to the most recent CRA data (2005).
The second largest national SBA lender in dollars, Wells Fargo is an SBA Preferred Lender in 28 states and the District of Columbia, and originated 4,937 loans for $578 million in 2006. Its diverse business services programs provide outreach and education to women, African American, Latino, and Asian business owners about financial services. Since 1995, Wells Fargo has loaned more than $30 billion to women and diverse business owners. For more information, please visit www.wellsfargo.com/biz.
About NAWBO
Founded in 1975, NAWBO propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. Thirty years later, NAWBO is still the only organization that solely represents the interest of women entrepreneurs in all industries. The organization´s mission is to strengthen the wealth-creating capacity of its members and promote economic development; to create innovative and effective change in the business culture; to build strategic alliances, coalitions and affiliations; and to transform public policy and influence opinion makers. Visit www.nawbo.org for more information.
About TecAccess
Winner of numerous awards, including the 2005 Secretary of Labor´s New Freedom Initiative Award, TecAccess is an industry-leading IT firm providing Section 508 compliance and electronic and information technology (E&IT) accessibility solutions for clients in government, private industry, and higher education throughout the world. TecAccess is a certified Woman-Owned and SBA certified 8(a) and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) committed to hiring people with disabilities.
For further information about TecAccess, please call: (804) 749-8646 , e-mail info@tecaccess.net, or visit our website at www.TecAccess.net.
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