The Traverse City Business News' sixth annual 40Under40 list is here, showcasing an impressive group of current and future leaders.

The list, published every September, highlights the forty most influential individuals in the region under age 40. This year's list and reception are sponsored by Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos. Turtle Creek Casino will host a reception for the winners and their guests later this month.

The Ticker asked TCBN Editor Lynda Twardowski Wheatley her impressions of this year's list, which features everyone from the Tribal Chairman of a sovereign nation to a young farmer to the creator of Traverse City's beerfests.

"It's always such an impressive group. This year maybe more than ever, several winners were selected specifically for accomplishments in the last twelve months…people like Todd Kalish, who is so instrumental in the dam removal project, or Rebecca Teahan, who just secured a major promotion at NMC, or Colleen Brzozowski, who had a record sales year attracting conventions to the Resort."

To narrow the field from hundreds of nominees to the final forty, a panel of TCBN judges look first and foremost at each applicant's overall impact in the region, level of community involvement, and achievements in the past year. Consideration is also given to account for relative accomplishments vs. relative age.

Wheatley says future lists will be selected by a panel of past 40Under40 winners.

"It's just gotten too difficult for us to make these selections on our own."

This year's list includes 19 women, and two who have appeared on all six annual lists -- Chris Bzdok and Mike Schmidt.

Here's the 2011 Traverse City 40Under40 (to read their complete bios and their own insights, goals and more, grab a September Traverse City Business News):

Tonya Wildfong, Team Elmers
Alex Mowczan, Summerside Properties
Heather Seyfarth, LIAA
Nate Elkins, Influence Design Forum/TC Parks & Rec
Lee Michaels, Cherry Capital Foods
Megan Olds, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
Norm Plumstead, Honor Bank
Kandace Chapple, Grand Traverse Woman
Matt McCauley, NW Michigan Council of Governments
Tanya Sue Wanageshik, GT Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians
Rebecca Teahan, Northwestern Michigan College
Kevin Endres, Three West Commercial Real Estate
Derek Bailey, GT Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians
Erik Falconer, Falconer Group/TCAPS School Board
Justin Looyenga, The Larkin Group
Colleen Paveglio, Downtown Traverse City
Peter Marinoff, Paul Oliver Hospital
Erika Erickson, UpNorthLive
Phil Franzo, Traverse City Area Chamber
Chris Bzdok, Traverse City Mayor
Jennifer Standfest, Munson Medical Center
Sam Porter, Porterhouse Productions
Mike Schmidt, Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors
Allison Beers, Events North
Colleen Brzozowski, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
Megan Kelto, Interlochen Center for the Arts
Bryan Taggart, The Larkin Group
Benjamin Marantette, City of Traverse City
Leah Bagdon McCallum, Goodwill
Brooke Nettz, Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center
Nikki Rothwell, MSU Research Station/Tandem Ciders
Todd Kalish, Michigan DNR
Kevin Klein, Cherry Capital Airport
Janie McNabb, NW Michigan Council of Governments
Brandin Darin, Congressman Dave Camp
Ben LaCross, LaCross Farms/Farm Bureau
Trevor Tkach, National Cherry Festival
Alexandra Rheinheimer, Horse Shows by the Bay
Julie Clark, TART Trails
Kerry Winkler, Grand Traverse Woman