Residents of Wallowa County have the opportunity to recognize a new entrepreneur who has built upon and created new opportunities in Wallowa County.

The award is sponsored by the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District (NEOEDD).

The contest will honor a local business person for their extraordinary entrepreneurship.

The winner will be recognized at the Wallowa County PubTalk on January 28, 2010.

All nominations must be received by January 8, 2010.

The winners in the past two years have been Kathy Shoemaker, of The Cougar’s Den, and Heidi Wilson, of the Blonde Strawberry.

“Entrepreneurs take risks and endure hardship with no guarantee of payoff,” said Lisa Dawson, Executive Director of NEOEDD. “Whether a specific business succeeds long term or not, the energy and ideas that entrepreneurs bring to a region are still valuable.”

Dawson cites a recent article in the Wall Street Journal which states that nearly all net job creation since 1980 occurred in firms less than five years old.

“Entrepreneurs have a proven track record of job creation, especially in the early years of their firms,” Dawson said.

A recent Pub Talk guest, Greg Rains of the Gorge Angel Investors Network, emphasized that finding while encouraging Wallowa County businessmen to expand their businesses. A number of new businesses in the county have presented at recent Pub Talks.

Nomination forms can be found on the NEOEDD website: (www.neoedd.org).