The AP Blog

Rivera was amped up about earning her award and she wore it on her sleeve.

“My gosh, I was so emotional. I got very emotional,” said Rivera, who lit up the Art Ovation ballroom with several woo’s on her way to collect her trophy. “I couldn’t believe it. I was in awe.”

She mentioned how humbling it was to hear her name called while sitting alongside all of the talent gathered around her.

“I think what’s made this award special for Lamona is really all of what she’s gone through in her time here,” added Niecestro. “She took on a lot of the workload herself. She really struggled at first, to be honest. She struggled getting the right team, and developing the right team.”

Rivera agreed, as she reflected on the leaps her branch has taken in their journey together.

“I just think of all the hard work that we’ve done,” added Rivera. “I’ve gone through a lot of staff changes here, internally. So finding that right mix, making sure that they have the resources that they need to be successful, and the SEAL team was a big part of that. We had two visits last year.”

She was nervous working with the SEAL team initially, but grew to embrace the support. Heading into 2026, it has become clear that it helped bring out the best in her office.

“The first visit was a little rocky and there was a lot to learn, a lot to wrap my head around,” she added. “But then once they came out the second time, I was putting those processes to my advantage and teaching my team, and just making it better for them.”

She immediately found Niecestro to share a hug after hearing her name called on stage Saturday night.

“We could tell early on that Lamona had the drive and the tenacity to build a book of business. And that’s really what Lakeland needed,” said Niecestro. “She’s doubled her billing since she’s been here. And more than that, she’s established really strong relationships with her clients and, again, she’s built a great team that is doing the same.”

That team generated over $5 million in revenue in 2025, exceeding all the goals that Rivera had set.

“Lamona has been an incredible mentor and a key driver of my professional growth,” said Marisol Miranda, a National Skilled Recruiter for Accurate who works alongside Rivera in the Lakeland office each day.

“I truly appreciate the unwavering faith she has in my potential, especially during moments when I lack self-confidence. She leads by example and is a constant source of motivation for the entire team,” she added. “Her focus on celebrating every win, no matter how small, creates a positive environment. I feel very fortunate to be part of her team.”

After the win, Rivera took to social media to celebrate the honor, and thanked the team that helped her earn it.

“Whew…still smiling over this one! This recognition truly belongs to the incredible people I get to lead every day! Thank you for embracing the grind, trusting my crazy ideas, and chasing opportunities across state lines with me!” posted Rivera on LinkedIn.

She joked during her interview that she has never had so many connection requests on the platform before in her life.

“I think we’re hungry,” said Rivera, with a grin. “There’s a lot of business here in Florida. A lot of things that I think, as a whole, I think we all need to push for, and that’s exciting.”

“Everybody’s like, ‘What are you gonna do? You won. What are you going to do?’,” she said. “And I just want to work, right? I want to get as much business as I can [and] get our name out. I think solidifying Accurate in Florida—we’ve got some hungry people who want to work.”