Modesto marketing firm owner earns national award

By EVE HIGHTOWER
ehightower@modbee.com

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Virginia Madueño, president of Modesto-based Imagen LLC, is one of three women nationwide to be recognized with the National Association of Women Business Owners-Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award.

She will receive $5,000 when recognized at the association's women's business conference in Phoenix on Thursday.

"I had no idea I'd be considered. I'm a small business," Madueño said. "I must be doing something right."

Imagen LLC is a marketing firm that specializes in grass-roots outreach, social marketing and media relations. Madueño established Imagen to help companies more effectively communicate and connect with the Spanish-speaking community.

"I was always the spokesperson for my family, and I knew businesses didn't always reach out to my family," said Madueño, whose parents spoke little English when they immigrated to California from Mexico.

Imagen also provides resources and education on key social issues such as education, ovarian cancer, drug awareness and childhood obesity.

"We create messages that resonate with the Hispanic community," Madueño said.

Among Madueño's recent projects is a childhood obesity campaign in which Imagen created a message to coax mothers into classrooms after school to learn basic healthy cooking techniques.

"It's one way to address obesity and a rising rate of diabetes in our culture," she said.

Madueño will put her winnings back into her business. She said it will help her continue with unpaid projects such as Sin Colores, an anti-gang community organization that, for example, teaches Latino parents how to identify early signs that a child may be involved in gangs.

Madueño and other winners were evaluated based on their companies' business performance, innovation, growth and personal service to the community, according to a press release.

Marion Hook, owner of Adobe Rose Inn LLC in Tucson, Ariz., and Assunta Ng, publisher and president of Chinese Post Inc.-Northwest Asian Weekly, based in Seattle, also won.

Established in 1995, the Trailblazer Award is part of Wells Fargo's Women's Business Services program. The program helps female business owners increase their access to capital and other financial services.

Al Autry, a former Modesto Bee advertising director, recently was named senior vice president of advertising for The Sacramento Bee.

Autry previously was senior vice president of advertising at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., another McClatchy Co. newspaper. He joined The News & Observer in 2005 after a 25-year career in advertising sales and management at The Modesto Bee.

A native of Modesto, Autry played professional baseball for 10 years after graduating high school.

He spent most of his career in the minor leagues, but was promoted to the majors in 1976. He pitched one game for the Atlanta Braves, winning what would be his only major league appearance.

Charlotte Carlberg has been promoted to branch manager of County Bank in downtown Turlock.

Carlberg has more than 14 years of experience in the financial services industry serving Turlock and the surrounding communities. She will celebrate 10 years with County Bank in December.

Carlberg has held a variety of positions with County Bank. Since April 2005, Carlberg has worked as marketing sales associate for the bank's marketing department in Merced and as a specialist in staff training and development in Atwater.

Donna Versola of Modesto, a representative for Jockey Person to Person, was ranked first in the nation in recruiting for April.

Versola, who started with the company in February, was honored by the direct sales division of Jockey International Inc. and contributed to the company's largest recruiting month since its launch two years ago.

Jockey Person to Person offers a product line of sportswear, activewear, sleepware and intimate apparel.

Announcements of promotions, awards and other business achievements can be sent by fax to David W. Hill, business editor, 578-2207; by mail to Biz Lines, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; or by e-mail to dhill@modbee.com. Photographs are encouraged but cannot be returned.