For the second year in a row, Avalon Risk Management has been named as one of the 2012 Best Places to Work in Illinois, where our corporate headquarters is based.

The awards program is promoted by The Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC), the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, and the Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago and managed by Best Companies Group.

'At Avalon, we recognize that employee engagement leads to satisfied customers and provides a winning combination for any successful business,' said Lisa Gelsomino, Avalon's President/CEO.

This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Illinois, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses. Companies from across the state participated in a two-part assessment to determine their ranking. The first part (25%) consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices and demographics. The second part (75%) consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking.