Bondswomen Honored With National Award

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO®) and Wells Fargo presented the fifth-annual NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Awards to two women who own a bail bond business in Florida. Two of the honorees, Deborah and Sharon Jallad, were selected from a nationwide pool of applicants based on their companies' business performance, innovation, growth, and personal service to the community. They own Accredited Surety and Casualty Company, Inc., that has been the Jallad family business since 1975. After working for her father since she was 13 years old, Deborah Jallad was eventually named executive vice president and, in 1993, Deborah and her sister Sharon took over the business. Lobbying for higher bail agent standards, stricter rules governing the release of domestic violence offenders, and increased bail requirements, the company works to reduce the likelihood that criminal offenders will flee. Among a small group of women who own a privately held property and causality insurance company, Deborah and Sharon break industry stereotypes and are respected leaders in the marketplace. Since they took over the business, revenues have increased over 270 percent and the company is now licensed in all 50 states.