MOUNT AIRY -- Teresa Lewis, owner and president of Mount Airy-based WorkForce Carolina, is among the Triad Business Journal's 2012 "Women in Business" award winners.

The magazine honors 15 women each year for outstanding contributions to their profession, employers and community. Triad Business Journal's Amy Dominello Braun explained, "We (seek) nominees that stand out on the job and give back to the community."

Starting from scratch, Lewis founded WorkForce Carolina in 1987 to meet local employers' seasonal needs for temporary workers. The company grew to provide additional staffing services, including recruitment and placement of permanent employees. It regularly appears on The Business Journal's annual list of "The Best Places to Work in the Triad." The magazine in the past year ranked WorkForce Carolina as fifth-largest staffing firm in the Piedmont Triad and as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the area.

WorkForce Carolina recently tripled its Mount Airy office space by moving from its long-time location just off Independence Drive to 1908 Caudle Drive near the junction of U.S. 601 and U.S. 52. It also has an office in Yadkinville.

Lewis herself has a long and varied record of service in the community. She has led fundraising campaigns for civic improvements and charitable causes. She was a Mount Airy City Council member and has been a board chairman and/or board member for organizations including the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, Reeves Community Center, United Fund of Surry County, Mount Airy Rescue Squad and Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and Surry County Economic Development Partnership.

SCEDP President Todd Tucker, one of the people who nominated Lewis for The Business Journal's "Women in Business" award, said, "Teresa is very deserving of this award. She has created a strong community minded business, and has been a strong supporter of the Partnership and other organizations for a long time."

The Business Journal will fete this year's honorees at its "Women in Business Expo and Awards Luncheon" on April 27 in the Embassy Suites in Winston-Salem. For reservation information, visit the magazine's website.

Triad Business Journal, www.bizjournals.com/triad