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DaimlerChrysler Services and NNPA Foundation Present Inaugural Entrepreneurial Award to St. Louis American

St. Louis American Named Winner of the First-Ever DaimlerChrysler Services/NNPA Foundation Entrepreneurial Award


* Newspaper recognized for its entrepreneurial accomplishments in publishing
* $10,000 Award presented at Newsmaker of the Year Banquet during Black Press Week
* Winner received one-of-a-kind sculpture created especially for DaimlerChrysler Services/NNPA Foundation Entrepreneurial Award by Kennedy Center artist-in-residence Cheryl Foster 

Washington, D.C. - It was a night of star-studded elegance and high-profile mingling at the annual Newsmaker Awards in Washington, D.C.  More than 200 publishers of the nation's black-owned newspapers filled the Grand Ballroom at the Marriott at Metro Center Hotel to witness the annual gala, as the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation (NNPF) celebrated the accomplishments of U.S. Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), U.S. Senator Barak Obama (D-IL), and actors/philanthropists Ruby Dee and (posthumously) Ossie Davis.

One of the biggest winners of the night, however, was the St. Louis American newspaper, one of the nation's oldest black-owned newspapers, which was named the winner of the first-ever DaimlerChrysler Services/National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation Entrepreneurial Award.  Janet Marzett, Vice President, Human Resources and Administrative Services for DaimlerChrysler Services North America, presented the Award which celebrates the industry's entrepreneurial and community-minded spirit, to publisher Dr. Donald Suggs, along with a check for $10,000.

"Dr. Suggs' entrepreneurial spirit is truly a phenomenon," she said.  "Through many years of working with and observing entrepreneurs, it is clear that he possesses a spirit that is rare, unusual and exceptional; a tireless ability to create, develop and sell. This "entrepreneurial spirit", when combined with the skills and knowledge of running a business, is the potent ingredient which turns entrepreneurial dreams into business realities."

Marzett cited the publication's strategic campaign to increase revenue and circulation, its ability to find creative solutions that turned a  Thanksgiving "revenue loser" into a winner, and the development of three special events by the newspaper's Foundation that were a direct benefit to the community.  "Your winning strategies have certainly set a benchmark for quality for future Entrepreneurial Award competitions," she said.
DaimlerChrysler Services has pledged $30,000 over the next three years to establish the award.  As the winner, the St. Louis American received $10,000, travel and accommodations to Black Press Week in Washington, D.C. and the use of a DaimlerChrysler-brand vehicle for a week.

In addition, the publication was presented with an originally-designed sculpture commissioned by DaimlerChrysler Services especially for the DaimlerChrysler Services/NNPA Foundation Entrepreneurial Award competition.  Multimedia artist, Cheryl Foster, created the design.  Born in Washington, D.C., Foster currently serves as a Master, Artist-in-residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  She also authors, coordinates and presents Family and Teen Programs for the National Gallery of Art.  Foster's sculptures grace the White House, Arlington National Cemetery as well as venues all across the country.  

DaimlerChrysler Services North America LLC provides brand-specific financing for automotive dealers' inventories and their retail consumers, and does business as Chrysler Financial and Mercedes-Benz Credit.  As DaimlerChrysler Services Truck Finance, it also finances commercial vehicles for affiliate products such as Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star. DaimlerChrysler Services North America serves as the headquarters for the operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico and has over 5,500 employees who manage a portfolio of $85 billion with nearly five million contracts. DaimlerChrysler Services North America is a member of the DaimlerChrysler Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which operates in 40 countries with an employee base exceeding 10,800 and a global portfolio of $123 billion.  DaimlerChrysler Services is one of the leading financial services companies worldwide.