Nominations for 2019 Influential Women in Business

Nominations will be accepted for Business Report‘s 2019 Influential Women in Business beginning Jan. 8, 2019. The awards annually honor professional women in the Capital Region who have distinguished themselves in business or through government or nonprofit work. All nominations must be made using the form below. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. Honorees will be profiled in the May 7, 2019 issue of Business Report and will be honored at a May 21, 2019 luncheon. Before nominating someone, check the list of past Influential Women in Business honorees here to confirm they haven’t already been recognized.

Questions? We have answers.

Who is eligible?
Professional women living and working in the Capital Region are eligible.

What makes an influential woman in business?
We’re looking for Capital Region women distinguishing themselves and influencing others through their professional and community life. Most of those honored are involved in business or a related career, but some previous Influential Women in Business honorees were successful in a wide variety of pursuits, including politics, government and nonprofits. They should be:

• Influential in their business or organization(s)
• Have a solid reputation based on their experience, leadership and integrity
• Have clear professional and/or community accomplishments
• Build recognizable and lasting initiatives or changes in and for their business or organization

How do I submit a nomination?
All nominations must be submitted via the online form below no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 15.

What do I need to submit a nomination?
You should have the following ready to go to complete the nomination form:

• The nominee’s full name, mobile number, email address, current job position, and home and work addresses
• A clear sense of why the nominee is influential professionally and/or in the community
• Basic resume information, including details of specific accomplishments and community involvement

Any advice for submitting a nomination?
Nominations are reviewed by a panel of community and business leaders who are looking for information about honorees who have made a significant impact in their business or organization and the community. Nominations that provide detailed information about character, credentials and accomplishments—and contain personalized testimony as to the nominee’s qualifications—are preferred over those with the same content copied and pasted by multiple nominators.

Is it important to have multiple nominations?
Influential Women in Business is not a popularity contest. Honorees are selected solely based upon their character, credentials and accomplishments. Honorees are most often selected based on a single nomination that makes a strong case for recognition.

Will more than one nominee from the same company or organization be considered?
You can nominate multiple executives from one entity, but only one will be chosen.

How are honorees selected?
Those recognized each year as the Baton Rouge Influential Women in Business are chosen based in part on input from a confidential panel of more than 50 community leaders. The goal is to select a diverse list that represents a broad spectrum of the local professional community.

Can someone be honored as an Influential Woman in Business multiple times?
No. Influential Women in Business is a one-time honor.

What is required of those who are selected?
Honorees must make themselves available for an interview and photo shoot. It is also important that they are able to attend our celebration recognizing our Influential Women in Business honorees.

What is the deadline?
We will stop accepting nominations promptly at 5 p.m. Feb. 15. No exceptions to the deadline will be made.

Can I fax, mail or hand delivery my nomination?
No. Nominations sent by email, fax, postal mail or hand delivery will not be accepted. All materials must be submitted via the online nomination form.

Can I save my nomination form and come back to it?
No. Once you start the form, you must complete it or start over another time. You may want to view the form to familiarize yourself with the questions, write your answers offline and then copy and paste them into the form to submit your nomination.

When will I find out who the honorees are?
The names of the honorees will be announced in Business Report and Daily Report in April and profiled in the May 7 edition of Business Report. Their identities will remain confidential until then. They will also be recognized at a special event on May 21.

Can I see a list of previous winners?
Yes. Check the list of past Influential Women in Business honorees here to confirm your nominee hasn’t already been recognized. Previous honorees are not eligible for nomination.