Sandra A. Abalos Judges Competition For Garvin School Of International Management

April 19, 2006 (PRLEAP.COM) Business News
MMI Associates, Inc.
7406-H Chapel Hill Road
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 233-6600 • (919) 233-0300 (fax)
patty@mmimarketing.com

For Immediate Release Contact: Patty Briguglio (919) 233-6600

Sandra A. Abalos Judges Competition For Garvin School Of International Management
Local Accountant Named To Judge
Thunderbird Business Plan Competition

PHOENIX – Sandra A. Abalos, managing partner of Abalos & Associates, P.C., has been named a judge for the Thunderbird Business Plan Competition. Abalos was chosen based on her expertise and experience with entrepreneurship and business enterprises. The competition, designed to support Thunderbird’s efforts to become a world leader in entrepreneurship and provide students with the opportunity to create their own venture projects, will be held April 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Thunderbird campus.

“I am honored to be selected to judge this competition for those interested in business,” said Abalos. “Encouraging and helping young people create and implement their own business plans is a very important opportunity.”

About Sandra A. Abalos:
Sandra A. Abalos was the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Accountant Advocate of the Year Award recipient, and is considered a national expert in the area of taxation and independent contractor status. She is also a member of the U.S. SBA National Advisory Council and provides small business insights to the Small Business Administration, the IRS and Congressional bodies regarding tax issues. Abalos currently serves on the Executive Board and Board of Directors for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and heads the organization’s Public Policy Committee. Abalos has been recognized with awards by a number of organizations, including The Small Business Administration, Working Women Magazine, Arizona Women’s News Choice Awards, Impact for Enterprising Woman, and the National Association of Women Business Owners, for excellence in Public Policy on both a local and national level. Most recently, she was named Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

About Thunderbird Business Plan Competition:
The Thunderbird Business Plan competition was developed to support the changing Thunderbird curriculum, which is mainly focused on the ideas of entrepreneurship. Preliminary judges will choose each finalist based on their submitted “Mini Business Plan” that created from their own venture ideas. After being selected in the preliminary round, the groups will then proceed to the final round where judges will receive a copy of that business plan, listen to oral presentations from each group, and have the opportunity to ask questions of the participants to help select the winners. The top three teams will receive cash prizes, to help implement their business plans, provided by the Center for Global Entrepreneurship.

Patty Briguglio
MMI Associates, Inc.
919-233-6600
patty@mmimarketing.com

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