For the Gazette

PORTAGE COUNTY – The Portage County Business Council (PCBC) and Ignite Young Professionals have named Leah Knights as the 2021 Young Professional of the Year.

“The criteria for the award is based on the accomplishments that each individual has made professionally as well as how they work to improve the Portage County area through participation in organizations, groups and other activities. The individual must be involved with a Portage County Business Council member business or be a participant of a Portage County Business Council Foundation Program such as Ignite Young Professionals, Leadership Portage County or Lead Transformed,” a PCBC release stated.

“Leah Knights was chosen out of nine very qualified nominees due to her work as a Board Member for the St. Michael’s Foundation, an MBA Fellow with CREATE Portage County, Founding President of Uplift – a non-profit organization launching this year and owning/operating Leah Knights Creative along with more extensive volunteer work.”

Other nominees were: Danielle Belsky, Boys & Girls Club of Portage County; Catalina Cabello, Pacelli Catholic Schools; Sierra Dow, UWSP Dining/Conferences-Marketing; Samantha Kaczor, S.C. Swiderski; Megan Kuckkahn, Point Title; Hannah Meinholdt, Wildcard Corp; Melissa Meschke, UWSP SBDC; and Nichole Wiza, Sentry Insurance.

The PCBC’s Creative Excellence Awards Breakfast will be held on April 6 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Stevens Point to honor the Young Professional, Entrepreneur of the Year, Non-Profit Organization and Golden Apple Excellence in Education award winners, and nominees for 2021.

Registration for the event can be found at PortageCountyBiz.com/events.