DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Awards Survey Still Open to Auto Dealers: Closes Dec. 31st

Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) December 14, 2011

There is still time for auto dealers across the country to participate in DrivingSales?s Vendor Ratings Dealer Satisfaction Survey which helps determine the winners of the 2011 DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Awards to be presented in Las Vegas at the 2012 NADA Convention and Expo. The survey has been deployed to thousands of dealerships nationwide, and dealers have until December 31, 2011 to submit their ratings. The survey is open to verified auto dealership personnel only and can be found at http://www.drivingsales.com/surveys/vr/customer-management.

?We urge dealers across the country to participate in the survey to help their peers make the important decisions about where best to spend their digital marketing dollars in 2012,? said DrivingSales Founder and CEO Jared Hamilton. ?We think this is so important that we are offering participating dealers the opportunity to win a MacBook Air or a $ 100 Amazon cash card.?

The DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Awards measure dealer satisfaction with services provided by vendors in 2011 in over two dozen categories, including CRM, New Car Leads, Used Car Advertising, Accessories Sales, Chat Products, Websites, SEO, Social Media, and many more. Vendors who achieve the highest dealer satisfaction rankings will receive awards.

?More and more vendors and service providers are entering the market with innovative and highly effective tools and services to help auto dealers succeed. We believe the best of the best deserve recognition,? continued Hamilton. ?Our Vendor Ratings Awards have become a coveted accolade for vendors within the auto industry, and the peer-to-peer information and feedback on vendors, services, and tools stimulated by our survey makes for an invaluable dealer resource -- and it can only be found at DrivingSales.com.?

The Vendor Ratings Awards will be based on cumulative ratings at DrivingSales.com (as of December 31st, 2011), as well as the results of the Vendor Ratings survey which is open to all of (and only) the nation?s nearly 18,000 dealerships. All those who take the survey or submit a vendor rating are required to provide valid contact information so that DrivingSales can verify that the reviewers are actual dealership employees; however, the identity of the survey-takers remains anonymous to the public. The survey is currently deployed on DrivingSales.com at http://www.drivingsales.com/surveys/vr/customer-management. Now through December 31st, qualified dealers who submit a vendor rating will be entered into a weekly drawing to win a $ 100 Amazon gift card. At the close of the Vendor Ratings survey on December 31st, one lucky winner will be picked to receive a MacBook Air. Full contest rules and details are available online now at http://drivingsales.com/rate/contest.

DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Award winners will be showcased in the Q1 2012 issue of the DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to the top 100 used car dealerships.

To participate in the DrivingSales Vendor Ratings survey, please visit: http://www.drivingsales.com/surveys/vr/customer-management. U.S. new or used car dealership personnel are eligible, and all contact information will be verified.

More information about the DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Awards and DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/drivingsales, or by visiting http://bit.ly/sV7216.

About DrivingSales Vendor Ratings

DrivingSales Vendor Ratings at is the industry?s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons ?searchable by category, company or rating? and is one of the most popular features of DrivingSales.com. Dealers are asked to rate their vendors on a 1-5 star scale, including whether they would recommend the vendor product to colleagues, and why they would or would not recommend the product.

About DrivingSales.com

DrivingSales is the auto industry's fastest-growing, most influential trade media property focused on delivering actionable profit-building information and business intelligence to auto retailers and industry professionals. Approximately, one in every four dealerships in the United States has a registered member in the DrivingSales community.

DrivingSales' information network includes flagship property DrivingSales.com (http://www.drivingsales.com), the world's largest car dealer social network; DrivingSalesTV (http://www.drivingsalestv.com), an interactive web channel which helps car dealers and auto professionals keep tabs on their industry and emerging technologies 24/7; DrivingSales University, an on-demand training platform where dealerships learn the latest web strategies from top e-commerce experts; DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) the industry's leading conference where progressive dealers collaborate and learn from world renowned experts, and DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide, a quarterly free publication featuring case studies of the industry's most innovative dealerships, solutions and best practices.

DrivingSales encourages innovation and excellence in the industry with its annual Dealer Satisfaction and Innovation Cup Awards, whose winners are determined solely by the dealer community. Founded by Jared Hamilton, a third generation car dealer, DrivingSales won a ?Top 25 Under Five? award from the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF), was named a 2011 Fast 50 ?Emerging Eight? company by Utah Business magazine, and received an Interactive Media Award (IMA) in 2011 for Outstanding Achievement in the ?Automobile? website category. Additionally, DrivingSales was named one of ten social media gambits for 2009 by Automotive News and one of the Top 10 Companies to Watch in 2010 by Auto Success Magazine.

DrivingSales Media Relations:

Melanie Webber [melanie(at)mwebbcom(dot)com], mWEBB Communications, 424.603.4340

Angela Jacobson [angela(at)mwebbcom(dot)com], mWEBB Communications, 714.454.8776

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Marstel-Day, LLC Wins 2011 Environmental Business Journal Awards

Fredericksburg, VA (PRWEB) January 25, 2012

Marstel-Day, LLC, celebrates the beginning of its tenth year in business by collecting a 2011 Industry Leadership Award from the Environmental Business Journal for assisting the greater Fredericksburg business community to adopt environmentally sound practices. Rubin teamed with the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber to develop the videos "Be a Climate Leader, Not A Climate Loser"; "Green Tips for Federal Vendors and Suppliers"; and "Going Green Can Boost Workplace Morale." Marstel-Day and the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber also launched the Green Business Council, chaired by Rubin, and as a result, the chamber is taking steps to reduce its own ecological footprint. Capping these efforts are the green innovation awards, to be announced at the "State of the Chamber" annual spring event. As a result of these initiatives, the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber has taken a strong leadership role in attracting green business to the region.

"Small firms employ the majority of the country's workforce, and most small businesses will turn to their local Chamber of Commerce for business leadership, including for helpful resources on sustainability initiatives. Recognizing and supporting the need for the greening of businesses has been a weak point for many local and regional chamber branches nationwide,? said Rubin.

Recognizing this shortfall, and as a first step, Rubin teamed with the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber to develop "Be a Climate Leader, Not A Climate Loser"; "Green Tips for Federal Vendors and Suppliers"; and "Going Green Can Boost Workplace Morale" videos. Chamber president Susan Spears noted, ?We welcomed the opportunity to provide information to our members that can help them develop green business practices as well as save them money. It?s amazing to see the pride businesses feel when they are able to take these measures. One step at a time, we all make a difference.?

Marstel-Day, LLC also received a Project Merit Award for the development of a renewable energy engagement plan for the U.S. Air Force to proactively engage with key stakeholders and find solutions to the complex issues of compatible renewable energy development. The development of renewable energy sources and associated transmission infrastructure can pose a variety of encroachment challenges to Air Force operations, mostly in the form of tall structure and radar interference. Sparsely populated open space considered ideal for Air Force operations and training are often areas with high renewable energy generation potential, particularly in the southwestern United States. The engagement plan focuses on Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas and provides a roadmap for internal and external engagement. Key elements of the plan include stakeholder identification and analysis, themes and messages, industry and trade association outreach, case studies, permitting process timetables, and forecasting analysis. By using this plan, the Air Force has developed a way forward in the form of a phased action plan to collaborate with developers and other stakeholders to maximize renewable energy potential while ensuring that the Air Force can train and operate effectively.

The 2011 EBJ awards will be presented at a special ceremony at the Environmental Industry Summit X, an annual three-day event hosted by EBI Inc., in Coronado, CA on March 14-16, 2012.

About Marstel-Day, LLC: Founded in 2002, Marstel-Day, LLC is an idea-driven, value-based environmental company offering green consulting to the public and private sectors. The company provides clients with concepts, strategies and plans of action for landscape-scale conservation of natural resources, climate adaptation, energy planning, "net zero" strategies, water security, smart growth, transportation, and the management of issues relating to encroachment pressures on government and private lands, open space and habitat. Its thinkers, planners and strategists skillfully combine strong analytical techniques with stakeholder outreach and engagement, to devise solutions to seemingly intractable issues for clients at the federal, state and local levels and in the private sector.

About EBI: Founded in 1988, Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI), based in San Diego, CA, is a research, publishing and consulting company that specializes in defining emerging markets and generating strategic market intelligence for companies, investors and policymakers. EBI publishes Environmental Business Journal, the leading provider of strategic information for the environmental industry, and Climate Change Business Journal, which covers nine segments of the Climate Change Industry. EBI also performs contract research for the government and private sector.

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The David Bohnett Foundation Awards ?Refresh? Grants Totaling $500,000 to David Bohnett CyberCenters Nationwide

Beverly Hills, CA (Vocus) February 5, 2010

The David Bohnett Foundation announced today grants totaling $ 500,000 to David Bohnett CyberCenters across the United States. In establishing the CyberCenters, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist David Bohnett?s vision was to provide LGBT communities with a ?wired? hub through which its members could network, communicate, and explore educational, professional and recreational opportunities. To keep the CyberCenters up-to-date, in 2004, the ?refresh? program was started, where each CyberCenter is supplied with brand new state-of-the-art equipment on a consistent basis (approximately every three to four years). In 2010, the Foundation is funding refresh grants to 24 locations throughout the United States.

?The Centers provide a safe environment for members of the LGBT community ? from youth who may find themselves without a support system?to seniors, who may have little or no familiarity with computers," said Michael Fleming, Executive Director for the Bohnett Foundation. "In today?s increasingly Internet-driven world, the David Bohnett CyberCenters have proven to be a lifeline for people of all ages. We are happy to provide regular ?refresh? grants enabling groups to keep pace with the many advances in computer hardware and software.?

Locations included in the 2010 refresh program are Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Duke University, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Long Island, Milwaukee, Orange County, St Petersburg, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa, Tulsa, Salt Lake City, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, University of Pennsylvania, University of Utah, and Washington, D.C. Equipment upgrades include Lenovo all-in-one A70z PC customized bundle with Microsoft Office software, Windows Pro 7 - 19? Widescreen Monitors in addition to Documate 510 Flatbed Scanners and IBM Infoprint color laser printers.

The very first David Bohnett CyberCenter opened its doors in 1998 at the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. The CyberCenter was an immediate hit, and served as the model for similar facilities throughout the United States. There are now 63 David Bohnett CyberCenters nationwide. They serve as prime examples of the Foundation?s commitment to making leading-edge technology available to the traditionally underserved LGBT demographic.

?People are sometimes surprised there?s still a need for CyberCenters,? said Lorri L. Jean, Chief Executive Officer of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. ?The fact is, these computers remain a lifeline for many?especially LGBT seniors and youth?who depend on our David Bohnett CyberCenter to connect to the Internet in a secure and welcoming space. Most of the users don?t have computers of their own, don?t have Internet access, or don?t have a place in which they feel comfortable visiting LGBT-related sites. That?s why we?re so grateful to the David Bohnett Foundation for its generous and continuing support of the CyberCenters.?

?Imagine, in 2010, being without a computer?basic activities including job searches, applications for services, educational opportunities and email contact with family and friends would be nearly impossible,? said Paul Moore, Program Manager at the Foundation, who oversees the CyberCenter program. ?The David Bohnett CyberCenters fill that void by providing free computer access, Internet and learning opportunities. The CyberCenters are typically equipped with 5-10 computer stations loaded with a broad range of updated programs and software for business and personal computing. The CyberCenters also offer community education and training on best Internet practices, online security, and general computer usage.?

David Bohnett Foundation

Since 1999, the David Bohnett Foundation (http://www.bohnettfoundation.org) has been committed to improving society through social activism, and has provided funding, state-of-the-art technology and technical support to innovative organizations and institutions. Grants totaling over $ 35m to date have been given in several primary funding areas: The Fund for Los Angeles, supporting a broad spectrum of arts, educational and civic programs; LGBT-related causes; voting rights and registration initiatives; supporting research and public policies to reduce the toll of firearm violence; and animal research and rights.

David Bohnett serves as Chair of the David Bohnett Foundation; the head of the private equity firm Baroda Ventures and was the founder of GeoCities.com, an Internet based media and e-commerce company in 1994. GeoCities was acquired by Yahoo! in 1999. His goals are improving lives, empowering individuals and building viable communities by connecting like-minded people in meaningful ways. Also central to Bohnett?s vision is his call to action to aspiring philanthropists to begin their giving by getting personally involved with causes with which they identify so that they can experience service first-hand.

Press Contact:

Carolyn Campbell

310.659.5427

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