Austinite of the Year Announced
New Austinite of the Year crowned during Austin Under 40 Awards
The winners of this year's Austin Under 40 Awards were revealed on Saturday evening during a gala honoring some of the city's hardest working young professionals. Fourteen winners were selected from 70 nominees, based on their professional achievements and their impact on the community overall.
The prestigious title of Austinite of the Year was bestowed on Jonny Rodgers, partner with the DEN Property Group. Rodgers was also the recipient of the Real Estate Award. "Right now it feels like the city of Austin just came up and gave me a big hug," Rodgers said.
In addition to serving on the board for the Young Men's Business League, Rodgers helped found the Austin Young Chamber, one of the premier young professional organizations in Central Texas. Rodgers joins past winners of the prestigious award, including Colin Pope, Kendra Scott and Evan Smith.
"The process of selecting a winner among so many qualified candidates is always difficult," said Austin Under 40 Co-chair Daniel Becka in a press release. "The winners this year all spotlight how young leaders make an impact in Austin. We are fortunate so many people are dedicated to making our city stronger and committed to their industries."
The 2015 Austin Under 40 winners are as follows:
- Arts, Sports, Media and Entertainment: Matthew Hinsley
- Community Service and Nonprofit: Lonny Stern
- Culinary Arts and Hospitality: Shaady Ghadessy
- Energy, Cleantech and Environmental Services: Jose Beceiro
- Engineering, Architecture and Design: Matt Fajkus
- Entrepreneurship and Startup: Leon Chen
- Financial Services and Insurance: Adam Flagg
- Government and Public Affairs: Gerardo Interiano
- Legal: Evan Young
- Marketing, PR and Advertising: Jenifer Sarver
- Medicine, Healthcare and Sciences: Andrea Campaigne
- Real Estate: Jonny Rodgers
- Technology and Science: Chelsea McCullough
- Youth and Education: Matthew Abbott
- Mentor of the Year: Heather McKissick
The annual celebration benefits the Young Women's Alliance Foundation and Austin Young Men's Business League Sunshine Camps.
You can see the full list of nominees here.