OAKLAND — Rob Michael of Oakland is the Heise Entrepreneurial Spirit Award winner for 2006. The award was presented by the 2005 recipient Barry Rush of Rush Services at the annual dinner of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. Other finalists for the award were Denny and Warren Glotfelty and Hugh Umbel.

Michael started a local insurance agency in 1975 at the age of 21 with zero accounts. Hired by State Farm Insurance at the age of 20, he was the youngest agent in the company’s history.

Charlie Ross, chamber president, said he built a highly respected staff and provides exemplary customer service to clients with the highest ethical standard for estate and financial planning. The result was that in the past 31 years, his agency has grown to more than 12,000 clients.

Michael has supported Garrett County with his time and funding, serving on the Garrett Memorial Hospital board of directors, as a board member and board chairman for Garrett College, as an adjunct professor at Frostburg State University and as a member of the board of the chamber of commerce.

Ross said he demonstrated leadership by overcoming many changes in the insurance financial banking business, from new competitors to a drastically changing business climate. He provides funding for many organizations, individuals, events and students. He interweaves his Garrett County roots into his lectures and is a much sought-after public speaker, said Ross..

Past winners selected three nominees from the many submitted by area businesses. The award is given at the chamber’s annual dinner each year.

“Selecting nominees for this prestigious award gives our business men and women the opportunity to salute their peers who created a vision and persevered to achieve it,” said Ross. . “It is an honor to be recognized by your fellow business leaders.”

Named in honor of Helmut Heise, founder of Wisp Mountain Resort, nominees must meet five standards. They must have built a business from the ground up using few resources, they must have been willing to take risks, they must demonstrate community involvement, they must conduct business with the highest ethical standards and they must demonstrate leadership.

“A nominee’s leadership might be seen in overcoming a problem that threatened the business’ existence; in having the business acumen to undertake a creative endeavor that contributes to the community; or developing a business property in an environmentally sensitive and esthetically pleasing manner,” Ross said.

Besides Rush, previous Heise winners are Jonathan “Smiley” Kessler, Bill Sisler, Olen Beitzel, Johnny Marple, James Flanigan Sr. and Will and Sharon Roszell and Barry Rush.