As a business magazine serving the Capital Region, we spend 99 percent of our time looking outward, focusing on the stories of great leaders and companies making strides to improve their outcomes and communities. But every so often we find a reason to commandeer the microphone and tell a great story from within.

This month I am privileged to announce that Comstock’s recently won two major industry awards for excellence. The Western Publishing Association — for the third time — has deemed Comstock’s the best business magazine west of the Mississippi. Additionally, we took home the award for best website for a consumer publication, a category that included nominations from media power players such as Mother Jones.

Comstock’s, which began publishing in Sacramento in 1989, was also a finalist in two additional categories: best profile story (“Mind Games,” by Anita Chabria, April 2014) and most improved publication.

Comstock’s is successful because we believe in what we do. We believe the Capital Region is a great place to live, work and play. We believe that our cities’ success hinges on the health of our companies, communities, employees and amenities. We support those people and entities by providing engaging stories and informative resources through a beautifully designed website and magazine.

But we’re not the only ones. Throughout the region, hundreds — thousands — of citizens are actively engaged in building a better future for communities from Yuba City to Vallejo to Tracy. They’re the business owners who uplift their employees with healthy workplaces and benefits; they’re the entrepreneurs who disrupt their industries with new technologies, systems and ways of thinking; they’re the philanthropists and volunteers who pour countless resources into organizations focused on our community’s biggest social issues.

We call them the vanguards. We’re looking for the best among them, and we’re always open to hearing your suggestions. In the coming months, we’ll continue to highlight the people and companies that have made the greatest contributions to our region through business advancement, philanthropic support and civic engagement.

Enjoy this month’s magazine and the vanguards featured within. We’ve gathered stories from a number of companies and individuals employing thoughtful strategies to maximize results, including The Wine Group, a 1,000-employee beverage company that bases executive compensation on the productivity of their successors (“The Art of the Long View,” page 74). Their focus on employee engagement and long-range planning has resulted in revenues that have grown from $200 million in 2002 to $1 billion in 2014.

We’ve also taken a look at how community banks — the source of almost half the nation’s small-business loans and 43 percent of its farm loans — are taking advantage of market openings and providing capital to organizations big banks are unwilling to assist.

The Capital Region has a long way to grow, but it’s clearer today than ever that we have the resources and human capital we need in order to achieve our goals. Thank you for supporting Comstock’s as we champion for a thriving, sustainable future.