Ramsey, NJ – December 23, 2014 – Dana Drury has been giving back to the community for as long as she can remember.
That dedication to helping others has helped to earn Drury, the Area Vice President, Downers Grove, IL, for Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) inclusion in the Daily Herald Business Ledger’s 17th Annual Influential Women in Business Awards program.
The awards are presented by the Business Ledger in partnership with the National Association of Women Business Owners, Chicago Area Chapter and the Women’s Innovation Network. They honor women executives and entrepreneurs who excel in business, civic and personal arenas and who do business in suburban Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake or Will counties in Illinois. The awards were presented Nov. 5 at a recognition reception at Northern Illinois University – Naperville Campus. Drury, who was nominated for the award by Sam Elsener, Area Vice President, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc., was also included in a special section profiling this year’s recipients published Dec. 8 by the Daily Herald Business Ledger.
“Dana Drury is a truly remarkable person,” says Mark Bradford, President, Direct Sales Channel, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “This award reflects her achievements on the job and in the community. I don’t know of another person who brings such passion to all that she does.”
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Drury began her volunteerism in 2000, when her mother requested that the family give back to the community in lieu of Christmas gifts. Instead, the family would discuss their activism at Christmas dinner. She adopted a family for the holidays and did volunteer work. “At the time, that seemed easier than shopping for gifts; little did I know what a life-changing experience this would be and how much of an impact it made on my life,” Drury says.
Her volunteerism turned into so much more. She organized teams for “Light the Night,” created Toys For Tots drives and blood drives, adopted a family at the holidays, and raised money for breast cancer research and veterans organizations.
In 2009, she brought that same passion into the Downers Grove office. “I experienced firsthand what a small group of people can do when they put their minds to it,” she says. “I volunteered to organize a fundraising event for cystinosis. One of my managers has two children that were diagnosed with this very rare disease. I wanted to do something to make a difference for his family.”
She organized a garage sale, asking employees to bring in anything and everything that could be sold. They made $8,000. Because of that success, she decided to duplicate the effort. The garage sale the next week raised $6,000. “It was crazy, fun and amazing to see how little you have to give to make a difference,” she says. “We were able to fund The Festival of Hope, which resulted in raising $53,000 for cystinosis. Two years, two garage sales and $65,000 later, we repeated our success at the second Festival of Hope.
“My mom may have given us a challenge back in 2000, however, this has been a gift that will last a lifetime,” she says.
Drury started her career with the company in 1996. “I knew after my internship in the summer of 1995 that this was definitely a company I wanted to be a part of,” she says. “When people ask me why I stay, the answer is easy: it’s the people. I truly enjoy those I work with and love seeing each of them grow and achieve so very much. I attribute my success to surrounding myself with the right people.”
Her co-workers have contributed to her success. Drury has been named 18 times to the President’s Club, as one of the company’s top sales performers and 11 times to the Circle of Excellence for placement in the Top 10 percent of the sales team who qualifies for President’s Club. She is a Diamond Circle winner, achieving President’s Club for 10 years, and is a three-time Gauntlet Award winner as the top sales performer in her classification. She has received three National Awards, three Exceed Awards, two Excellence Awards and two Employee of the Year Awards.
She also produces excellence from her staff. For the past five years, her branch had the most sales representatives reaching President’s Club. She has also produced 19 National Award winners, an accomplishment she says gives her the most pride.
“The Downers Grove branch has been a model of success not just for the Chicago marketplace, but the Central Region,” says Armen Biberian, Market Vice President, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “The branch works together in every area to make sure as many people are successful as possible. This attitude comes straight from Dana. Her philosophy is that if her sales managers are successful, she and her representatives will be as well.”
Drury believes in leading by example. “I would never ask something of someone I have not done myself,” she says. “I believe that success is not an option. I pride myself on the culture that we have created at Konica Minolta over the years.
“When people describe me, I am sure they would probably say that I am passionate, creative, hands on and focused on the people,” she continues. “It is easy for me to stay focused on helping my people because at the end of the day, that is truly who I care about. I have been successful simply by making others successful around me. If you take care of your people first, everything else will fall into line.”
About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in information management focused on enterprise content, technology optimization and cloud services. Our solutions help organizations improve their speed to market, manage technology costs, and facilitate the sharing of information to increase productivity. Clients trust Konica Minolta to help them envision how they can achieve their goals and deliver innovative solutions to give shape to their ideas. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition including being recognized as the#1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for seven consecutive years, and “A3 MFP Line of the Year” award winner from Buyers Laboratory LLC for an unprecedented four consecutive years. In 2012, Konica Minolta received “Document Imaging Solutions Line of the Year” recognition from BLI. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for two years in a row. For more information, please visitwww.CountOnKonicaMinolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
Konica Minolta Contacts
Karen Harris
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.
+1 201-818-3231
kharris@kmbs.konicaminolta.us
