Page 16 - MEDWeek Program2023

AWARDS WINNERS

Service Firm of the Year Woman-Owned Firm of the Year

MORALES-MARCHISILLO YAZZIE
Sonya Shawna Newman

Pinnacle Communications Group President
7949 Atlantic Blvd, Ste 104, The NDN Companies
Jacksonville, FL 32225 3740 St. Johns Bluff Rd S, Ste. 10
(904) 910-0444 | Sonya@pincomgroup.com Jacksonville, FL 32224
(904) 800-2671 | syazzie@thendncompanies.com

Sonya Morales-Marchisillo is the founder and sole Own- Shawna Newman Yazzie is the President and Founder
er of Pinnacle Communication Group. Her business was of The NDN Companies (NDN), a Small Business Ad-
started three years ago from the sofa of her family room ministration (SBA)-certified woman-owned 8(a), Dis-
and is now housed in a 3000 sq ft building to better facil- advantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), and Jackson-
itate and service their clients. Sonya is relentless in her ville Small and Emerging Business (JSEB) company
pursuit to connect people and create a dynamic work that provides a full range of environmental consulting
environment with a focus on Empowering Women. services including, but not limited to, site assessments
and investigations, contamination remediation/res-
She is one of the few women to break the glass ceiling toration, natural resources/National Environmental
and claim her spot in the automotive, communications, Policy Act (NEPA), cultural/archaeological resources,
and technology industries. Sonya is single handedly tribal consultation, and environmental planning and
launched her own multi state national security technol- compliance.
ogy and communications company during the global
financial-health pandemic crisis. Sonya’s positive atti- Ms. Yazzie has a Bachelor of Science degree from the
tude and upbeat personality have propelled her to be- University of West Florida and over 24 years of expe-
come one of Jacksonville’s number one startups. rience in the environmental industry, specializing in
Native American consultation and cultural resourc-
Sonya is the newest recipient Enterprising Women es. She focuses her efforts primarily on projects and
Magazines International Grand Champion Woman of issues that have the potential to impact Indigenous
the Year May, 2023. In addition, she is a winner of the communities. In 2022, Ms. Yazzie was instrumental in
GrowFL Honoree 2023, to go alongside her 2021 Wom- receiving grant funding to conduct STEM outreach
en of the Year in Technology Award representing the within several Native American communities across
Southeast in North America. She is now also among the the United States. She recently received an award
elite 2023 Unsung sHERO Award Winners for Jackson- from Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
ville, FL. Sonya was one of 12 Keynote Speakers for the National for her contribution to Native American STEM
ExpoLatina Conference this past fall. Education.

Sonya is a co-founder of Jacksonville Women in Busi- Since 2015, NDN has rapidly expanded its presence
ness for Good (JWBG), a local giving circle composed in local, commercial, and federal contracting. Owners
of women everywhere with a common goal to do good Shawna Yazzie and Geoff Reichold uphold core val-
and be better as a community. She also created a ues like family culture, reliability, integrity, and trans-
STEM program for the local youth to help keep a focus parency. These values resonate with clients and the
on technology with an emphasis on young women. NDN staff. The company’s dedication to its employ-
ees’ well-being has led to increased profits and the
Sonya is the Vice President and President Elect of the development of new service lines. NDN’s commit-
Rotary Club of Northwest Jacksonville. She is also a ment extends to its local community, where they’ve
member of the WBENC Ambassadors Council and a volunteered for non-profits such as Rethreaded, North
Charter Ambassador for the Vistage Group. Florida Land Trust, the American Red Cross, and sup-
ported armed forces/veterans.

16 2023 MEDWEEK