ALBUQUERQUE – Merritt Allen, owner and executive director of Vox Optima, LLC, has been named the New Mexico Veteran Business Champion of the Year by the New Mexico District office of the Small Business Administration. Merritt was nominated for the honor by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP).

“I’m very proud to be a Veteran and a New Mexican, so this is a big honor for me,” she said.

Merritt was selected for the award based on her work to grow business opportunities for Veteran- and service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses. Merritt was medically retired from the Navy in 1999 with a 60% disability rating, having served on active duty as a public affairs officer for eight years. In the private sector, she has used her knowledge and business skills to focus on veteran-owned businesses.

Among many efforts, Merritt was contracted to stand up the brand and image campaign for The Veterans Corporation. She has worked tirelessly to advance small business opportunities for Veterans, and has donated her time and knowledge to help them succeed in the federal contracting arena.

“Right now, every employee at Vox Optima is a Veteran,” Merritt said. “There’s a reason for that. I know that if you have served in the military, you have the maturity, discipline and ingenuity to bring the most innovative ideas to the table – and more importantly, I know you can execute them.”

Merritt feels strongly about “rebranding” Veterans in the business community. “A lot of people think that hiring Veterans or awarding contracts to Veteran-owned businesses is practically a charitable function,” she said. “But selecting Veterans as your business partners isn’t just the ‘right thing to do’ – it’s the smart thing to do.

“Veterans, whether they serve a single enlistment, or a thirty-year career, are smart, disciplined and results-oriented. There’s no ‘failure option’ when you are executing a mission – whether you have all the right resources or not. This adapt-and-overcome attitude is precisely what I look for in an employee and a partner.”

Vox Optima, LLC is a full-service public relations firm offering counsel, training, planning and creative services to federal and commercial clients. To learn more about our offerings, and our all-Veteran staff, visit www.voxoptima.com.