Last month, we reported in this space that Hatteras Networks CEO Kevin Sheehan was up for a Stevie, the American Business Award's equivalent of an Oscar.

Well, he won Thursday night, and he had some local company.

Sheehan walked away with the title "Best Executive in Telecommunications."

Stephen J. Wiehe saw his company, SciQuest, honored as Best Business Turnaround. Wiehe was hired in 2001 to fix the Cary software company. Five years later, it had its first annual profit. Wiehe was a finalist for "Best Turnaround Executive."

Meanwhile, FIS SoftPro in Raleigh won a Stevie for Best Customer Service, Computer Software. The company's software is used for real estate closings and title insurance.

The awards were presented during ceremonies Thursday night in New York City.

Recognitions and awards

Lenovo, which has headquarters in Morrisville, was recognized as the No. 1 personal computer manufacturer in Technology Business Research's first-quarter Notebook IT Buying Behavior and Customer Satisfaction Study. More than 600 medium- and large-business customers in the United States and Canada were part of the study.

Rain Water Solutions, a Raleigh company that designs and sells rain harvesting systems and rain barrels, received the Conservation Business Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society. The award was given in recognition for Excellence in Industry Resource Management.

Bradley Jones and Maura Stokes, research and development directors at SAS in Cary, have become fellows of the American Statistical Association. Recipients are honored for their professional contributions and leadership in the field of statistical science.

Karol Krotki, a senior research statistician at RTI International, has been named an American Statistical Association fellow.

The Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham received the 2009 AAA Four Diamond Award.

Michael D. Ruff, vice president of pharmaceutical development at Metrics in Greenville, earned the Certified Pharmaceutical Industry Professional credential. The new credential is awarded by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering's Professional Certification Commission.

Leroy Roberts Jr., chief of the Department of Radiology at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and a clinical associate at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, has been inducted as a fellow in the American College of Radiology.

Bladen's Bloomin Agri-Industrial of Elizabethtown won the 2008 Excellence in Economic Development Award for Innovation in Economic Development. The award, given by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, recognizes the organization's commitment to research-based, market-driven economic development.

Martha Goldfinch, financial adviser with Morgan Keegan & Co., was awarded a certificate of merit by the American Red Cross at an awards banquet in Raleigh.

Michelle Rich Goode, founder of Rich Commercial Realty in Raleigh, won the Trail Blazer of the Year Award at the Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women Champion Awards. Goode is also Meredith College's Alumna Philanthropy Award recipient for 2008.

Raleigh-based Cardinal Capital Management's non-U.S. equity investment performance was one of the world's best among comparable investment firms, ranking in the top 1 percent by PSN for the quarter ending March 31. PSN is an account database that contains data on more than 2,000 investment management firms and more than 10,000 investment products.

BB&T Wealth Management ranked No. 1 in the New York-based Luxury Brand Status Index survey. Survey respondents said they preferred BB&T personalized approach.

Michael Winslow, executive vice president and chief creative officer at RBW, received the American Advertising Federation Raleigh-Durham's Silver Medal Award. The award is given for outstanding contributions to advertising.

Catevo Group in Raleigh won two Summit Creative Awards for its work on Catevo's own Portfolio Card Pack and a flash animation created for John Deere Golf.

Holy Cow Branding in Cary won a silver award in the Summit International Creative Awards for its holiday Prosperi-tea promotional card and gift.

The Department of Marketing in Raleigh won a bronze award in the 2008 Summit Creative Awards for its work on Armadillo Grill's Web site.

Rocky Mount resident Ray Batts, a district sales manager for Ceco Building Systems' Eastern region, was recognized for achieving $175 million in cumulative sales and was named 2007 Top Volume District Sales Manager at the Ceco 2008 National Sales meeting in Tucson, Ariz.

Mike Collins, president of The Perfect Workday Co. in Raleigh, was named an outstanding chapter speaker for the continuing professional education programs of the N.C. Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Joel Hayden, store manager of the Falls of Neuse Stein Mart in Raleigh, won Stein Mart's 2007 Highest Comparable Store Sales -- Spring Season Award. The award is given each year to the manager whose comparable-store sales are the highest in the company for the spring and fall seasons.