Winners toasted at 2^nd Annual 40 Under 40 Awards

 

By Catherine Fahey

 

All hands were on deck for the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s second annual 40 Under 40 Awards event held aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant. Award recipients, their families and friends mingled under ceiling-mounted WWII fighter planes as they enjoyed food, drink and live blues music provided by the event’s corporate sponsors, Prudential Individual Financial Services and Alltel, Inc.

 

Business Journal Publisher Bill Settlemyer opened the ceremony by noting that winners were chosen on the basis of their business acumen and strength of character. “The nominees for this year’s awards weren’t necessarily ‘movers and shakers’ in the business community, though some certainly are,” he said.  “We also measured success by looking at things like character, perseverance, skills and work ethic.”

 

Award winner Todd Tyler, president of The Commonwealth of the Carolinas, found the award and ceremony to be a welcome reward for his past start-up struggles.

 

“The commercial insurance business is dominated by older men,” says Tyler.  When he left an established company to start his own firm from scratch, many expressed doubts that someone so young could make it. Tyler jokes that he’s been tempted to send the 40 under 40 article to former naysayers, but he’ll settle for the personal satisfaction of being recognized.

 

In addition, “It was great to meet other 40 under 40 winners,” says Tyler. “I had some great conversations, even with the comedienne, who owns her own company and had some questions about worker’s comp.”  

 

Another award winner, Ingrid Tugwell, vice president of PST Inc., agreed.  “It was great networking and getting to spend time with other people who had won,” she says.  Tugwell says her favorite aspect of the night was the atmosphere and how many different things were going on other than just the awards. 

 

While the 40 Under 40 ceremony lasted for just the night, the tradition will continue. Settlemyer concluded his speech by saying, “And finally, to our current award winners, please keep an eye out for people you think would be deserving of this award next year, because we’ll be contacting you next spring to get your suggestions for our year 2000 40 Under 40 nominees.”