The Kitsap Business Journal presented its first annual Business Leader of the Year awards at the March 21 annual meeting of the Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council (KREDC). The award was co-sponsored by the KREDC, the Olympic College Foundation and Gold Medal Marketing.

“This is an award we hope in the future will become one of the most coveted honors a local businessperson can be recognized with,” said Business Journal publisher Lary Coppola.

Honored as the Business Leader of the Year was Bainbridge Island mortgage broker Carolyn Frame of CFA Northwest Mortgage Professionals. The firm has offices on Bainbridge Island and in Silverdale.

Recognized as the Rising Star Business Leader of the Year was Matt Simonich of Lowe’s Home Improvement Center in Bremerton.

The paper solicited nominations from the community for three months. The numerous submissions were narrowed then down to a Top 10 list.

“I’d like to say that all our applicants are truly winners in terms of what they give back to our community through their success. They represent a broad spectrum of our local business community,” noted Coppola.

The other Top 10 nominees were:
• Roxanne Bryson of Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton
• Elizabeth Gilje of KPS Health Plans in Bremerton
• Doug Houghton of Liberty Bay Auto Center in Poulsbo
• Dale Phelps of Custom Printing on Bainbridge Island
• Karen Ramsay, managing broker at John L. Scott Real Estate in Poulsbo
• Steve Rice and David Fergus of Rice-Fergus Architects in Bremerton
• David Smith, President of the Kitsap County Association of Homebuilders and Central Highlands on Bainbridge Island
• Ed Wolfe, an attorney in Silverdale and president of the Puget Sound Naval Bases Association.

   Frame is an active member of the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce, Bainbridge Island Boys and Girls Club, Bainbridge Island Rotary, and was one of the original Board members for Habitat for Humanity in Kitsap County. She has been asked to be the Honorary

Chairperson for Habitat for Humanity for 2002. She is also a board member of the Home Builders Association and served as Chairperson for the 2000 and 2001 Parade of Homes.

Frame was the first corporate sponsor for the Bainbridge Chorale, has been an active supporter of the Bainbridge Performing Arts, sponsored various Native American presentations, and received an award from the State of Washington Employment Security Department for Kitsap County’s WorkFirst Program where she has done mock interviews and assisted over 3,000 individuals to move from Welfare to work.

Frame was in the banking business for 26 years before leaving to go into business 10 years ago. She has built her business from just one assistant to 40 employees, three offices, with an office to open in Gig Harbor in this month and another in Portland this year.

A graduate of Anthony Robbins Mastery University, she strongly believes in education as a key for growth and participates in many seminars and training every year to stay updated on new technology and trends, as well as encouraging employees to take advantage of educational opportunities. Frame is a strong believer in giving back to the community, and in upholding strong ethical standards in business.

Simonich came to Kitsap from Utah just over two years ago after training to be a manager with Lowe’s, and is serving his first year in a manager position.

He understood that to be successful would require a team effort and that it would take a great team of supportive employees.

Nominated by one of those employees, the nomination form said, “…there are three words that demonstrate Matt’s management style as well as explain who he is – firm, fair and consistent.”

Simonich manages 130 plus employees and understands that they work in a growing community. And with that growth, he understands that there needs to be a balance of customer service and community relationship.

Simonich’ store was number one in the region last year and he presented a check to the Bremerton Fire Department for $2,500. Contributions include donations to Habitat for Humanity, Safe Kids Coalition, United Way Foundation, Red Cross, Women’s Work Shop, West Sound Tech, Royal Family Kids Camp, Alpine School, Cascade Elementary Outstanding Business Partner, Annual Christmas Angels and more.

According to the person that nominated him, Simonich is, “…open to suggestions from employees that make the company stand out in the community and helps employees to understand that they need to use every tool available to them — and that the first tool is customer service — a marketing technology that never gets old.”
The judges were Coppola, KREDC Executive Director Zoltan Szigethy, Dr. Richard Strand, Dean for Business and Technology at Olympic College and KREDC president and head of McCormick Land Company, Linda Niebanck.