Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the local Houston Chapter, the Women's Business Enterprise Alliance (WBEA) awarded Pamela O'Rourke the 2008 recipient of the prestigious STAR AWARD.  Every year out of the 6,000 national women business owner members, only one from each local chapter is selected, making Pamela one of only 14 recipients across the country.

Each year the award is given to a woman business owner who has proven success in business, community and in leadership in helping other women-owned businesses achieve success.  O'Rourke was selected for this honor by a panel of representatives from Houston's Fortune 500 Corporations that are members of the local Women's Business Enterprise Alliance.  She has been an active member of the Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance and its national partner, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, since Icon’s certification as a woman-owned business.

Pamela is President and CEO of Icon Information Consultants, LP, a Houston-based firm specializing in staffing and recruiting highly skilled IT and Finance professionals. She has landed Fortune 100 & 500 clients such as Halliburton, Shell, ExxonMobil, Waste Management, Hewlett-Packard, Pitney Bowes, PepsiCo, Alcatel Lucent, Perot Systems, Lyondell/Equistar, Alcoa....and the list goes on.  Under her leadership Icon has grown and prospered having never experienced a single quarter without a profit by remaining steadfastly customer-oriented despite the ever changing trends in the IT market.

Pamela’s spirit of generosity and caring is equally displayed in the community.  She donates time, resources and money to support many women business enterprise organizations, including WBENC, WPO, WBEA, Enterprising Women and more.  She serves as a member of the WBENC National Forum, the WBENC Board of Directors and on various WBENC committees.  Pamela sponsors other WBE’s to national WBENC events to help them achieve success through the myriad of networking opportunities presented there.  She requires employees to use other WBE’s to purchase products and services for Icon, whenever possible.  Pamela also serves on the Board of Directors for AVANCE, a nonprofit organization focusing on parent education, early childhood development, brain development, literacy, and school readiness. The program serves predominantly poor Latino families in underserved communities.

Pamela has received a host of business awards over the years, including the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2005 “Women in Business Champion of the Year”, Fast Company Magazine’s  “Top 25 Women Business Builders”, and many more.  Most recently Icon earned a place on the Inc. 5000 Inaugural List of Fastest Growing Private Companies, the Houston Business Journals 2007 “Houston Fast 100” and “Top 100 Fastest Growing Woman-Owned Businesses”.  With all that she has been recognized for, her most desired and shining accomplishment is being named the 2008 WBEA/WBENC “STAR”.  To Pamela this very special award is the icing on the cake and the perfect anniversary gift after 10 years of perseverance, caring and personal growth.