[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 212 (Tuesday, December 15, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1150-E1151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 2020 EXCELLENCE IN SALES HONOREES PRESENTED BY THE 
        INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 15, 2020

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the 2020 recipients 
of the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Woman in Sales Leadership Award, 
IES Member of the Year, and the Rising Star Award presented by the 
Institute for Excellence in Sales & Business Development (IES).
  IES was created to foster excellence in business sales and 
development practices and to help sales professionals and organizations 
maximize their efforts. IES conducts a variety of workshops and 
programs designed to provide the knowledge and tools necessary to 
advance the careers and growth of those who attend. Each year, IES 
recognizes individuals, teams, and organizations throughout the United 
States who demonstrate exemplary performance through leadership, risk 
taking, innovation, vision, and customer development.
  The Sales Excellence awards seek to promote and advance corporate and 
organizational sales excellence by recognizing organizations that have 
demonstrated outstanding leadership and strategic vision in Enterprise 
Sales. These honorees will each respectfully fall into the award 
categories of the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Woman in Sales 
Leadership Award, the Member of the Year Award, and the Rising Star 
Award.
  The recipient of the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award is Mr. Craig 
Abod, President of Carahsoft. In just 15 years, Craig has grown the 
company from $0 to more than $6.5 billion in bookings by providing 
federal, state, and local governments and academic institutions with IT 
solutions that best fit their needs and budgets. As a top-ranked GSA 
schedule and SEWP contract holder, Carahsoft now employs more than 
1,300 people.
  The recipient of the 4th Annual Women in Sales Executive Leadership 
Award is Ms. Tamara Greenspan. Tamara is responsible for a team of 
account executives that deliver software solutions for complex business 
problems. The team assists the Federal Government, the International 
Agency community and Canada with their digital transformation.
  Darrell ``DG'' Gehrt is the IES Member of the Year. He is a sales 
leader at Cvent and a member of the IES Advisory Board. Darrell's 
professional career has been defined by taking on a series of 
entrepreneurial ventures

[[Page E1151]]

that have grown rapidly. The last twelve years have seen Darrell 
pioneer sales organizations at DC based SaaS companies and produce no 
less than 35 percent year-over-year growth rates.
  Andrew Bailey is the first recipient of the IES Jay Nussbaum Rising 
Sales Star Award. A former Marine, Andrew has transitioned into an 
exceptional young sales professional with a deep and abiding commitment 
and appreciation for his customers. He's quickly become a top sales 
performer at SAP NS2.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Craig 
Abod, Tamara Greenspan, Darrell Gehrt, and Andrew Bailey for their 
exceptional dedication and leadership within the business community.

                          ____________________