Entrepreneur of the Year: The 2007 winner is announced!

The winner! David Elson of United Staffing Associates

Image: United Staffing Associates

PlanetOut's Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 is David Elson.

One of seven children, David grew up in a conservative Baptist home and attended a Christian school. As an adolescent, he woke up each morning at the crack of dawn to deliver newspapers on his daily route -- but after being called a "fag," David knew that as soon as he graduated, he would move to California. He launched United Staffing Associates in 2002, and used his culinary talents to get his name out, providing the weekly winner of a radio contest with a dessert he made himself.

USA, a full-service employment company, provides temporary and permanent staffing, payroll, direct placement, benefits administration, safety and human resource consulting. The corporate office is located in Pismo Beach, California, with additional California branches in Paso Robles, Santa Maria, Oxnard, San Luis Obispo, Porterville and Visalia, along with a branch in Las Vegas.

The 2007 judges chose David for his inspirational combination of financial success and involvement with the LGBT community. He'll receive $10,000 cash, $10,000 in advertising and a trip to the Out & Equal conference to receive his award. Congratulations, David!

See the United Staffing Associates Web site at unitedwestaff.com.