Business briefly Nov. 20

Two nurses honored as 'extraordinary'

Two nurses at Sierra Surgery Hospital have been honored with the DAISY award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Diane Malley and Karen Kate, both registered nurses, are being recognized for "personalizing the health care experience," advocating for patients, going beyond expectations, community service and "always treating patients, families and coworkers with kindness, concern and dignity."

The DAISY Award is given by the not-for-profit DAISY Foundation out of Glen Ellen, Calif. It is given in honor of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999, as a way to give thanks to the nurses who make a difference in their patients' lives.

Twice a year, two nurses are selected from the Sierra Surgery Hospital for the award.

Marketing exec awarded Affiliate of the Quarter

Cynthia Failor, a marketing executive with First American Title Insurance Company in Carson City, has been named the Affiliate of the Quarter by the Sierra Nevada Association of REALTORS.

The association also named Realtor Mae Haden with Fallon-based firm Ferguson & Getto, Inc., its REALTOR of the Quarter.

Failor has been in the real estate industry for more than 11 years and is also involved with several charities and service organizations. She is also involved with the Northern Nevada Development Authority's real estate board and is the secretary of Women's Entrepreneur of Carson Valley.

Mae has been a Realtor for several years and served on the Sierra Nevada Association of REALTORS' board of directors. She also volunteers several hours a week at the Churchill Banner Community Hospital Thrift Store and serves as the membership director of the Community Hospital Auxiliary.

Laughlin Associates given 2011 Best of Carson City Award

Laughlin Associates, an incorporation-services provider, has been given the 2011 Best of Carson City Award in the incorporating companies category by the U.S. Commerce Association.

This "best of local business" award recognizes businesses deemed to have achieved exceptional marketing success in their market by the USCA.

UNR part-time MBA program ranks fourth in nation

The University of Nevada, Reno, College of Business' part-time master's of business administration program has been named the fourth best in the nation in BusinessWeek's 2011 top part-time programs report.

The rankings are tallied according to surveys of MBA graduates and other data, including Graduate Management Admission Test scores, class size and completion rates. The UNR program boasts of having 99 percent of enrollees in its part-time program finishing it.

"I believe this is unprecedented," said Kambiz Raffiee, the program's director and associate dean of the College of Business, in a statement. "I don't think I have heard of any of the University's programs being ranked so highly - not in my 28 years at the University. It really makes a statement about the quality of our faculty and how hard they work to make this program one that sets the standard for other programs in the country."

Toyota donates $10,000 to charity organizations

Dick Campagni's Carson City Toyota Scion and Toyota USA donated $5,000 each to the Food for Thought and Friends In Service Helping organizations.

"It is times like these (where) we urge all capable individuals, families and businesses alike to help those charitable organizations that provide a service to those in need in our community," Carson City Toyota Scion wrote in a release.