Noyce, Keefe lead honorees in PBN’s 2017 Business Excellence Awards

PROVIDENCE — Kurt Noyce, president of Embrace Home Loans, recently named the fastest-growing private company with revenue greater than $75 million by Providence Business News, is being honored for Business Leadership in the publication’s 17th annual Business Excellence Awards program.

Noyce has been with Embrace Home Loans for 27 years, 18 as president, leading the company in its growth from a small team of fewer than 50 to more than 800, with more than 80 offices. Even with the significant growth, Embrace has been named one of the Best Places To Work all 12 years that PBN has presented the award.

Noyce’s “lead by example” ethic successfully shepherded the company through a transformation from a purely business-to-consumer approach to one that includes a business-to-business component, coaxing bank executives to accept and his own staff to embrace their role as a mortgage service for the institutions. He also mentored students from the inner-city vocational training program for at-risk young adults, Year Up, showing employees his dedication to providing life opportunities for minorities.

Joining Noyce as an individual honoree in the BEA program is Dennis D. Keefe, retiring CEO of Care New England, recognized for the Corporate Citizenship award.

- Advertisement -

In September, Keefe announced he will retire Dec. 31 after six years in the role, remaining with the company as a consultant for one year to assist the pending merger with Partners HealthCare of Massachusetts, which includes the sale of Memorial Hospital to Prime Healthcare Foundation.

At Care New England, Keefe has been a prolific leader in the health care industry. He co-chaired Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s Healthcare Leaders’ Workgroup and served as co-chair of Raimondo’s Reinvent Medicaid Workgroup in 2015.

Keefe is the co-chair of Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza’s Non-Profit Working Group, and sits on the boards of Rhode Island Quality Institute, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and has been a member of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.  He has served as chair of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, and on the Board of the Essential Hospitals Institute.  He was chair of the 2015 Southern New England Heart and was campaign chair of the 2013 March of Dimes March for Babies Walk.

Other winners of the 2017 BEA program include:

  • Excellence at an Enterprise Company: Lifespan
  • Excellence at a Large Company: The Original Bradford Soap Works Inc.
  • Excellence at a Mid-Size Company: Coastway Community Bank
  • Excellence at a Small Company: Fish Advertising
  • Community Involvement: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
  • Excellence at a Social Service Agency: St. Mary’s Home for Children
  • Excellence at a Nonprofit: Year Up
  • Excellence in Education and Learning: The Academy for Career Exploration
  • Entrepreneurship: John D. Jarrell
  • Excellence in Diversity: Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island

Ronald K. Machtley, president of Bryant University, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Nov. 8 event, which will be held at the Omni Providence Hotel.

Presenting sponsor for the 2017 Business Excellence Awards program is BlumShapiro, while partner sponsors are: Bryant University Executive Development Center, Cox Business, Gallo Thomas Insurance and Partridge, Snow & Hahn LLP.

For more information, visit the PBN Events page.