1. Contest Overview

Oakland County ("OC") is the sponsor ("Sponsors") of the Oakland County Executive's Oakland Together 40 Under 40 ("Contest"). Oakland County Executive's Oakland Together 40 Under 40 program is the region's leading recognition program that spotlights the top changemakers, business and community leaders under the age of 40 who excel in their field and show dynamic leadership. The competition is open to individuals who live and/or work in Oakland County, Michigan and are born after December 31, 1983. Entrants will be able to complete an online application of their background and achievements for judging. The top forty (40) Entrants determined by a judging review panel will be based on all of the evaluation criteria specified in these Official Rules. Only one Submission may be made per Entrant. "Entrant" is a person that enters or applies to participate in the Contest.

All interpretations and enforcement of the Official Rules, Eligibility, and Submission Guidelines shall be made by Sponsors in their sole discretion and are at all times final.

2. Registration Period

Registration will be open at 9 a.m. EST on Nov. 15, 2023 until 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 12, 2023.

3. Eligibility

The Contest is open to individuals living or working in Oakland County, MI. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and born after December 31, 1983. Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant which Sponsors deem to have a conflict with the nature of Contest. Oakland County employees involved in any aspect of the auditing, creation, production, operation, execution and fulfillment of Contest are not eligible to enter the Contest. By participating in this Contest, Entrants:

1. agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the interpretations of these Official Rules by Sponsors and by the decisions of Sponsors;
2. acknowledge compliance with these Official Rules;
3. agree to comply with any and all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations; and
4. agree to release and hold harmless Sponsors, Judges and any entity involved in the creation, operation, or fulfillment of the Contest and their respective agents, employees, elected officials, officers, directors, successors and assigns ("Contest Entities") from and against any and all claims, injury, liability, and damages arising out of or relating to participation in Contest including, but not limited to, claims based on defamation, publicity rights, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, or any other intellectual property related cause of action.

4. To Enter

Entrants will complete entry forms online at: www.oakgov.com/40under40. Mailed submissions will not be accepted. Entries not submitted in the approved entry form may be subject to disqualification. All fields indicated as mandatory must be completed. Incomplete submissions will be disqualified.

All information submitted online by Entrants is subject to and will be treated in accordance with Oakland County's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

All information provided by Entrants may be subject to disclosure under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, Court Order, or other law.

5. Submission Guidelines

All contents of Entrants Submissions, including but not limited to, content, text, images, graphics, photographs, captions and descriptions, hereinafter referred to as ("Submission" or "Submissions"), must be completely accurate and truthful about Entrant. Entrants should list achievements demonstrating, but not limited to, outstanding leadership, dedication to a career path, entrepreneurship, initiatives which are beneficial to the economy, community, safety and health of Oakland County and beyond.

Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to disqualify any Submission that it deems to be a violation of any of the Contest Official Rules, that are not in keeping with Sponsors' image, or that are not in keeping with the purpose of the Contest. Sponsors may request Entrant to modify their Submission so that such Submission meets the Official Rules. Sponsors are not obligated to use, publish, or display or broadcast any Submission.

All Entrants agree that in consideration for being permitted to enter this Contest, they grant Sponsors, and their respective representatives, in whole or in part, the right to verify any documentation and information necessary to prove their residency, service, achievements, and employment during the Contest period. All Entrants are subject to a background check.

All entries submitted in compliance with these Official Rules and not disqualified are considered "Eligible Submissions." Submissions will not be returned and receipt of Submissions will not be acknowledged.

6. Judging

Contest judging will consist of a jury ("Judges") of community leaders and business professionals who meet and select the forty (40) recipients to form the 2024 Oakland County Executive's Oakland Together 40 Under 40 class. The Judges will evaluate all qualified entries on the following criteria:

1. leadership;
2. community service; and
3. overall community impact.

Judging will be based on all of the evaluation criteria specified in these Official Rules. Only one Submission may be made per individual. All interpretations of these Official Rules and decisions relating to the Contest made by Sponsors are final.

The application of the judging criteria shall be in the sole and absolute discretion of the Judges. Entrants agree to release and waive any claims against Contest Entities relating to the judging or awarding process.

7. Winner Verification

The Recipients must prove eligibility, including, without limitation, proof of age, residence and identity, which may include submitting a copy of a driver's license, passport or similar government issued identification within three (3) days of being requested by the Contest Entities. In the event of non-compliance by a Recipient, such Recipient, shall be disqualified and all privileges otherwise due as the Recipient shall be terminated and an alternative Recipient may, in Sponsor's sole discretion, be chosen from among all of the Submission Entrants.

8. Winning Recipients

The forty (40) Recipients may be awarded the following:

1. invitation to attend State of the County Address and be acknowledged as a member of the Oakland County Executive's Oakland Together 40 Under 40;
2. invitation to participate in Oakland County Executive's Oakland Together 40 Under 40 events, including awards ceremony;
3. Submission promotion on the Oakland County 40 Under 40 website: www.oakgov.com/40under40.

Sponsors reserve the right to change or substitute the award recognition and program.

9. General Terms

Contest Entities are not responsible if Contest cannot take place, or if any awards cannot be presented due to delays, interruptions, or failures due to acts of God, war, natural disasters, weather, acts or threats of terrorism, strikes, lockouts, labor disputes, work stoppages, fire, acts of government, or other events outside of the reasonable control of Contest Entities. If, for any reason Contest is not capable of running as planned, including, without limitation, infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Contest Entities, which, in Sponsor's sole determination, corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsors reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend Contest or any part of the Contest. Sponsors reserve the right to modify and amend these Official Rules from time to time during Contest for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Contest. If Contest is terminated prior to the expiration date stated herein, notice will be posted on www.oakgov.com/40under40.

Any attempt by any person to deliberately damage or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be in violation of criminal and civil law and should such an attempt be made, sponsors reserve the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorney's fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any legal action regarding this Contest shall only be brought in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of the State of Michigan, the 50th District Court of the State of Michigan, or the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, as dictated by the applicable jurisdiction of the Court. Except as otherwise required by law or court rule, venue is proper in the Courts set forth above. The laws of the State of Michigan shall govern the Contest. Each Entrant waives any and all objections to jurisdiction and venue in these Courts and hereby submits to the jurisdiction of these Courts.

Use of any device to automate or subvert Submission is prohibited. No software-generated, robotic, programmed, script, macro or other automated online entries are permitted and any Submissions received by such means will be void. Sponsors reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any person they suspect or find:

1. to have used a software generated, robotic, programmed, script, macro or other automated online entry;
2. to have tampered with the Submission process or the operation of Contest;
3. to be acting in a disruptive manner, or with the intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person;
4. to display behavior that will bring such participant Contest Entities into disgrace;
5. to have provided inaccurate information on any legal documents submitted in connection with Contest; or
6. to be acting in violation of these Official Rules.

Contest Entities assume no responsibility or liability for and will disqualify Submissions that are: stolen, late, lost, illegible, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, damaged, destroyed, delayed, misdirected (e-mail and mail), that have incorrect or inaccurate Submission information, whether caused by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in Contest, or by any human, mechanical or electronic error which may occur in the processing of the Submissions in Contest. Contest Entities have no responsibility or liability for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of Contest, errors in processing entries, identifying the participants any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer systems, online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail or players on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or on any web site, or any combination thereof, including, without limitation, any injury or damage to Entrants' or any other person's computer system/software related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in Contest.

10. Liability

Entrants agree not to sue and Entrants shall release, discharge, waive, indemnify, defend, and hold Contest Entities harmless from any and all liabilities, damages, losses, claims, demands, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees), and causes of action of any kind or nature whatsoever in law or in equity, whether now known or unknown, arising out of or relating in any way to Entrant's participation in the Contest, including without limitation, the public display of Entrant's Contest Submission, any claims based on defamation, invasion of rights to privacy, publicity, licensing, intellectual property, copyright or trademark infringement, or any similar matter, or relating to the use and exploitation of Entrant's name, image, and/or likeness, any breach or alleged breach by entrants of any affirmation, undertaking or obligation of entrants, and for any loss, damage, injury, that may be sustained by Entrants.

11. Publicity

Entrants grant to Contest Entities the right to use Entrant's name, picture, image, and/or likeness, or biographical information or voice for trade, advertising, and publicity purposes, in any media now or hereafter known, throughout the world in perpetuity without additional compensation or consideration or notification.

Entrants grant to Contest Entities the full permission and authority to photograph and/or film Entrants and the unlimited right and permission to use, distribute, publish, reproduce, display, exhibit, create derivatives of, or to otherwise transmit the images taken of Entrants, including Entrant's name, city, state or residence, picture, voice, conversations, performance, image, likeness, biographical information, and all other attributes of Entrant's personality and appearance ("Image" or "Images"), individually or with others, in whole or in part, in conjunction with other materials, in any media, including digital, electronic, print, television, film and any other media now known or to be invented, for the purpose of advertising and promotion, or any other lawful purpose whatsoever, in perpetuity throughout the world, without additional compensation to Entrants. Entrants agree that the Images may be altered, cropped or modified in any manner and that Entrants shall have no claims, including, without limitation, based upon invasion of privacy, defamation, or right of publicity, arising out of any use, blurring alteration, change, distortion, illusionary effect, faulty reproduction, fictionalization, or use in any composite form of Entrant's name, picture, voice, image, likeness, form, biographical information and any and all attributes of Entrant's personality and appearance. Entrants understand that Entrants shall not have the right to inspect and/or approve of any such uses or any copy that may be used in conjunction with an Image.