Rick Narkiewicz's peers presented him with the commercial real estate industry's highest award last month at the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties annual gala.

Narkiewicz received the "Deal of the Year" award for negotiating the relocation of American Tire Distributors into a 147,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Tampa. This transaction was the largest completed in the Greater Tampa Bay area during 2008.

Narkiewicz, a 1992 graduate of Ridgewood High School and standout athlete, is no stranger to receiving distinguished awards. In 1999 and 2004 he was named one of the Tampa Bay area's most successful people under the age of 40. His mother, Sally Narkiewicz, retired several years ago after more than 30 years of teaching in the Pasco school system.

After spending the past 14 years living throughout Florida, Narkiewicz has come back to Pasco County.

"One of my primary goals over the next 24 months is to bring new jobs to Pasco County," he said. "The first step is to create a well-designed world class business park that will lure employers."