L-R: Robert Burke, CEO of Commonwealth Financial Partners with 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Lucy Gibney and Bruce Snyder, GLE associate dean

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Celebrating the innovative spirit of Hampton Roads' entrepreneurs, Regent University School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship (GLE) in partnership with Inside Business co-hosted the 2008 Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards (EEA) at The Founders Inn.

The recipients of this year's awards were David Arias (Swimways Corp.), Hank Luhring (IssueTrak), Gordon Christie (Grand Affairs Catering), Henry Martin (Rocket Direct Communications), Robert Fitzgerald (UAV Communications Inc.), Lee Milteer (Lee Milteer Inc.), David Giesen (Doormation Inc.), Al Moore (Marathon Consulting, LLC), John T. Hewitt (Liberty Tax Service), Caroline Taylor (Taylor Made Diagnostics Inc.), Susan Long-Molnar (Managing Communications Consulting) and Jeff Wassmer (Spectrum Comm Inc.).

Dr. Lucy Gibney, president and CEO of "Dr. Lucy's LLC," was named the 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year. Having a son with severe food allergies, Gibney and her husband launched "Dr. Lucy's LLC," a manufacturing business dedicated to creating foods to aid people living with food allergies. Dr. Lucy's LLC produces a specialty line of allergen-free cookies that Gibney developed and is rapidly gaining national distribution.

EEA recognizes outstanding entrepreneurship found within the businesses and innovators in Hampton Roads—noted for their ingenuity, perseverance and positive impact on the community.

"Entrepreneurs tend to have more impact on people than large businesses do...it's more than a job, it's a life," said Dr. Bruce E. Winston, keynote speaker and dean of GLE. "It is critical in today's economy that entrepreneurs step out and make a difference."

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About the School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship

The School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship (GLE) is one of seven graduate schools within Regent University and is located in Virginia Beach, Va. Offering fully-accredited master's and doctoral degrees in a flexible online format, GLE provides rigorous, yet innovative academic programs that can accommodate even the busiest professionals. For more information, visit www.regent.edu/global.