LIVONIA, Mich., May 10 -- Valassis, the leading company in marketing services and Connective Media(TM), recognized outstanding employees during the ninth annual Vision Awards Ceremony on May 6th at the Italian-American Club in Livonia. These company-wide awards honor employees who exemplify the company's Vision of being an innovative, integrated marketing solutions company. "With so many talented and dedicated employees collaborating to make Valassis a success, it is a real challenge to select individual employees for these awards," said Alan F. Schultz, Chairman, President and CEO. "Nominations are made by our employees and the final selection is determined by a committee of employee volunteers. As a result, there is an outpouring of appreciation and recognition for our Vision Award winners from their coworkers." In 2003, Valassis focused on integrated solutions, promotions using three or more Valassis products or services. Last year, 20 integrated solutions were sold and employees from across the company contributed to the success of this growth initiative. The focus on integration led to a one-time award -- the Integrator Award -- presented to an employee who took concrete steps to make integrated solutions a reality. For her role in executing a promotion integrating direct mail with newspaper-delivered promotions flawlessly for a retail customer, Erika Myers of Van Buren Township was named the Integrator of the Year. She will receive a vacation on the brand new Queen Mary 2 luxury ocean liner along with airfare and five extra days of paid vacation time. Myers, who works in Promotion Services at Valassis' Anderson Printing Division in Livonia, built a model that now sets the standard for executing even the most challenging integrated solution. In addition, the following Vision Awards were presented: Employee of the Year: Steve Thibeault of Ypsilanti, Mich., Valassis' Customer Operations Division A Client Liaison Manager, Thibeault has set the standard for a new position in the company. In 2003, he managed customer relationships totaling more than $53 million in revenue for Valassis. Thibeault has worked with some of the company's top customers and has earned their trust and respect. He strongly believes there is a solution to every problem and one only has to be creative and persistent to find the answer. "The reason I am able to do what I do everyday is because of the quality of people I work with," Thibeault said. "I just recently celebrated my 10th anniversary at Valassis and during that time I have been fortunate enough to have worked in a number of areas and in various buildings. No matter where I have worked, I have found people who genuinely care about each other and the job they do." Collaborator of the Year: Sharon Rapp of Livonia, Mich., Valassis' Anderson Printing Division A Direct Mail Leader in the company's Bindery, Rapp embraced software technology to help meet the challenges of implementing a new shipping process from Valassis Promociones in Mexicali, Mexico for sampling direct mail pieces. Her efforts have helped to build a strong relationship between Valassis and the U.S. Postal Service. Rapp is a consistent team player and her expertise and organizational skills are renowned throughout the company. Innovator of the Year: KaLena Dunham of Detroit, Mich., Valassis' Anderson Printing Division A leading member of the Anderson Printing Division's Safety Committee, Dunham was challenged to come up with a plan to reduce accidents and clinic visits in manufacturing, which also reduced overall workers' compensation costs. A sound plan embraced by employees, it has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of accidents and days lost of work. Risk-taker of the Year: Brian Yono of Gurnee, Ill., NCH Marketing Services, Inc. Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis at NCH Marketing, a subsidiary of Valassis in Deerfield, Ill., Yono stepped out of his financial role to assist with product development, pricing strategy, sales and marketing for a critical company growth initiative in the arena of trade promotion. He did all of this while still maintaining his primary responsibilities. Yono was recognized for stepping out of his comfort zone, his willingness to take on new challenges, his vision for the broader organization and his passion for the business.