The managing director of an angel investing group received this year’s Sam Volpentest Entrepreneurial Leadership Award at the annual Richland Rotary Entrepreneurial Awards luncheon Oct. 21 at the Richland Riverfront Hotel.

Known as the Sammy Award, the honor went to Phil Ohl of the Tri-Cities Angel Alliance. The award recognizes those who have shown “true entrepreneurial leadership” and have significantly contributed to the success of the region.  

Ohl launched Vista Engineering 25 years ago before selling it in 2014, and he has since used the resources to help other entrepreneurs.

He “has invested in numerous startups, not only providing startup capital, but also offering his time free of charge to help these and other startups forge a path to success,” said Diahann Howard, executive director of the Port of Benton, who presented the award.

Ohl has invested in Fuse Fund, offers his expertise in engineering, environmental and technology sectors, and has served on the boards of eight private companies and six nonprofits.

The Angel Alliance started in 2021 as a quarterly, informal “shark lunch” to facilitate networking between local startups and investors, Ohl told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business in 2024. In 2023, the group was incorporated as a nonprofit and became a little more structured to include education and broader outreach.

Other entrepreneurial awards were presented to the following businesses that have shown an exemplary spirit of entrepreneurial success:  

• MacDonald Accounting, Tyler MacDonald. Nominated by Fuse SPC.
• Precision Aviation Solutions, Darin and Jeanna Graybill. Nominated by Port of Benton.
• Miss Tamale, Leticia and Mark Whitten. Nominated by Richland Rotary.
• Tee Time, Reyes Gonzalez, Alex Pacheco and Aide Gonsalez. Nominated by Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.
• Ciao Trattoria, Jessie and Susanne Ayala. Nominated by TRIDEC.

The awards are sponsored by the Richland Rotary Club, Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, TRIDEC, Fuse and the Port of Benton.

Typically, the awards highlight businesses that are not yet fully mature but show promise for the future. Businesses must be located in the bicounty area, been in business at least one year and less than seven years, and employ fewer than 15 people.

MacDonald Accounting was honored “in recognition of its go-getter attitude and focus on empowering emerging startups and new businesses to utilize the technology which is necessary for success,” said Rocco Luongo, an award presenter.

The business was founded in 2019 and recently moved into the Fuse accelerator, where it’s seen growth and gained seven additional employees in 2025. MacDonald Accounting provides financial expertise to small businesses in every industry.

Precision Aviation Solutions is a growing helicopter company that offers a variety of services, including helicopter tours, agricultural support like cherry drying and frost protection and flight instruction.

In the future, the business plans to expand to include charter flight services, Howard said.

Mexican restaurant Miss Tamale has a location in Richland, recently opened another in West Richland and also supplies Pacific Northwest National Laboratory employees with lunch options four days a week.

“What they have accomplished in a short amount of time is nothing short of phenomenal,” Luongo said, noting that the Whittens launched the business seven years ago with their own credit cards and a lot of hard work.

Tee Time is a mini golf and entertainment business that opened in 2024. Howard said in her presentation that the small business has shown strong commitment to community engagement.

“They’ve identified a gap in the market for a year-round, family-friendly golf and entertainment option, and delivered a solution that attracts golfers, businesses, families and groups alike,” she said.

The owners of Ciao Trattoria began their business as the Ciao Wagon food truck before launching a brick-and-mortar Italian restaurant in Pasco.

With the move, along with the monthly community events the restaurant hosts, the Ayalas “have helped transform the perception of downtown Pasco as a dining destination, proving that collaboration amongst restaurateurs can elevate an entire district,” Luongo said.