The Director of the Year Awards recognizes directors who have demonstrated leadership in the boardroom and excellence in corporate governance through outstanding professionalism, ethics, dedication, and achievement. 

Lifetime Achievement Award - An individual over 10+ years has demonstrated meaningful contributions as a director to the companies that he/she has served and has made a recognizable mark on the Orange County Business community. 

Chairman's Award - An individual who has made outstanding and sustaining contributions to the growth and development of the Orange County business community. 

Community Impact Award – Recognizes a director who has served on the board of one or more non-profit organizations and who has helped such organization(s) make a substantial, positive difference in the communities which they serve.

Corporate Citizenship - Recognizes a director who, in addition to service to public or private for-profit corporations, has made significant contributions as a director to non-profit organizations or has been instrumental in the efforts of for-profit companies to give back to his/her community. 

Corporate Governance - A director who has been a leader in guiding the board and executive management in maintaining the ethics and conscience of the companies that he/she serves as well as ensuring that proper policies and procedures are in place to address concerns of risk, fraud, transparency, and accountability. 

Corporate Growth and Development - A director who has made a significant contribution to corporate growth and development by bringing unique abilities or outside sources to enhance the growth, operations and profitability of the companies he has served. 

Corporate Leadership and Service - A director who has exhibited leadership in the boardroom through service on more than one committee of the board and who is widely recognized as an outstanding director and a multi-faceted contributor to the boards on which he has served. 

Early-Stage Companies - A director who has played a strategic role in creating value and growing companies from the new idea stage by contributing to the company's development through capital-raising, marketing and organizational development through the various phases and finally through the exit phase, whether that be an acquisition or a transition to a public company. 

Enhancement of Economic Value - A director who has made an outstanding contribution to enhancing the economic value of the company while fulfilling his/her responsibilities to investors, employees, vendors, and customers through service as a director.

Do you know a local Orange County Board Director who is deserving of recognition as an FCD Director of the Year? Please contact Karen Rossi at [email protected] to nominate him or her. Our honorees are chosen in October.