LIMELIGHT Awards, achievements

YOUNGSTOWN -- The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has named Youngstown native Kenneth J. Purfey to its National Hall of Fame for distinguished business and industry Leaders. Only three CPAs are named for the honor each year. Now of San Jose, Calif., Purfey graduated from Ursuline High School in 1965 and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in business administration, both from Youngstown State University.
He is president and chief executive of a Silicon Valley Internet company and has been the chief financial officer of three high tech and computer companies. He is also a published author with artilces included in the Handbook of Financial Technology. In 1996 he served as a Special Advisor to the U.S. State Department and the Russian Government to help start up the Moscow and Vladivostok Stock Exchanges.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Kacelyn Jameson of Jameson's Candy earned top honors for design excellence at the Holiday Jubilee National Gift Basket Convention. The competition is part of the overall gift basket industry's program to generate original, creative packaged gifts. Competing against 143 other entries, Jameson won third place in the Holiday Warm-Up Pre-Call Gift category. She is now qualified to compete in the 2002 Gift Basket Designer of the Year competition planned for April 2002 in Las Vegas.
AUSTINTOWN -- Marcus Thomas LLC, an advertising and public relations agency with offices in Austintown, Beachwood and Independence, was one of 99 Northeast Ohio companies named a winner of the Northcoast 99 Award. The award recognizes the 99 best places to work in Northeast Ohio.
SHARON -- Edward Palanski, founder of a Sharon-based management consulting firm that specializes in human resource development, recently addressed the Youngstown Chapter of the American Production and Inventory Control Society on the subject of Leveraging Human Capital. His business, E.M. Palanski & amp; Associates, is in its 10th year.
CAMPBELL -- Mike Iacobacci, a Campbell native, has received his electrical contractor license from the state of Ohio and is now certified by the Ohio Construction Industry Examining Board. Iacobacci is a graduate of Campbell Memorial Hospital and Youngstown State University.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Cambridge Home Health Care, which has offices in Youngstown and Warren, was named a winner of the Northcoast 99 Award recognizing 99 of the best companies to work for in Northeast Ohio. Nancy Diller-Shively, president and chief executive, was also named the Akron Business Woman of the Year recently by Inside Business Magazine. Based in Akron, the company has 16 offices and provides home health care to 1,700 patients a week.