Nominate a business for the 2011 Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award

Posted on by Douglas Charles Jackson

Nominations are being accepted through June 30 for the 2011 Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award.  

The award, given by the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, is a unique competition honoring entrepreneurial businesses  that demonstrate sustained vitality and commitment to Virginia communities facing high unemployment, high poverty and low entrepreneurial activity.

Each year five Resilience Award winners receive the recognition and resources to help their company continue to grow and succeed, including ongoing media coverage for their business and community, opportunities to engage key business and government leaders, and enrollment in a week-long Executive Education course at Darden—valued at $8,000 to $12,000.

Luke Harris (left) and David Stone of Solid Stone Fabrics show the 2010 Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award, which their company won in the wholesale category.

David Stone, Main Street entrepreneur and Martinsville Uptown Revitalization Association (MURA) board member, was awarded the Resilience Award in 2010, its inaugural year.  Stone, owner of Solid Stone Fabrics,  secured his next round of funding after meeting a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) official at the award ceremony.  Read more in the Martinsville Bulletin article of September 8, 2010.

Cities in Virginia that qualify based on rates of unemployment, poverty, and self-employment for the 2011 Resilience Awards competition include Bristol, Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Colonial Heights, Covington, Danville, Emporia, Franklin, Fredericksburg, Galax, Hampton, Harrisonburg, Hopewell, Lexington, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Norton, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond, Roanoke, Waynesboro, Williamsburg and Winchester.

Qualifying counties include Accomack, Alleghany, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buchanan, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Craig, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Greensville, Halifax, Henry, Lee, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Nottoway, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince George, Pulaski, Richmond, Russell, Scott, Southampton, Sussex, Tazewell, Washington, and Wise.

Nominate a business here, or complete the full application.