SBDC Clients Win Small Business Week Awards
SBDC Client Named National Small Business Person of the Year
A client of America’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network was named National Small Business Person of the Year for 2008. The award was made as a part of the nation's celebration of National Small Business Week. Shawn Boyer, a client of the Virginia SBDC, won the award for starting SnagAJob.com, a highly successful job-posting website for part-time and hourly jobs.
The first runner-up and one of the second runner-ups for the National Small Business Person of the Year award were also SBDC clients. Angela Timm, of Cottage Garden, Inc., a client of the Indiana SBDC, was the first runner-up for the national award. George Burciaga, of smarTECHS.net, a client of the Illinois SBDC, tied for second runner-up.
“The awards are well-deserved recognition of the great accomplishments of these small business owners and the SBDCs that serve them, said Don Wilson, President of the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). “I am thrilled for all of our network’s clients who received awards, and for the dedicated men and women of America’s SBDC network.”
Small business clients of America’s SBDC network were named state Small Business Person of the Year in 14 states, including:
- Lynn Carter, Southeast Cherokee Construction -- a client of the Alabama SBDC
- Don Kramer, One Senior Place -- a client of the Florida SBDC
- Dawn Dallaire, Clearly Fun Soap -- a client of the Georgia SBDC
- Dan Long, A-1 Plumbing Service -- a client of the Idaho SBDC
- George Burciaga, smarTECHS.net -- a client of the Illinois SBDC
- Angela R. Timm, Cottage Garden, Inc. -- a client of the Indiana SBDC
- Gary Adams, Stanton County True Value Hardware -- a client of the Kansas SBDC
- Karen Barbour, The Barbour Group -- a client of the Maryland SBDC
- Wendy Banks and David Van Zee, Carolina Management Team -- clients of the N. Carolina SBTDC
- Mark and Cal Lottman, Dakota Traffic Services -- a client of the South Dakota SBDC
- Austin Merritt, Merritt Tool Company -- a client of the North Texas SBDC Network; and Tim Smith, The Label Smith -- a client of the University of Houston SBDC Network
- Shawn Boyer, SnagAJob.com -- a client of the Virginia SBDC
- Rusty George, Rusty George Creative -- a client of the Washington SBDC
- Harry Siegel, HMS Technologies -- a client of the West Virginia SBDC
SBDC clients also received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards for their states, including:
- Cody Murray, Raw Talent, Inc. -- a client of the Georgia SBDC
- Andrew Holler, Rock 30 Games -- a client of the North Dakota SBDC
And SBDC clients received the Family-Owned Business of the Year awards in their states, including:
- Jose Sabatier, Zabbatt, Inc. -- a client of the Florida SBDC
- Mumammad “Gaz” Gaziani of Hiteq Computer Systems (for the Dallas/Ft. Worth District) -- a client of the North Texas SBDC Network
Small Business Week awards this year include the inaugural SBDC Lead Center of the Year Award and the SBDC Service Center Excellence and Innovation Award, honoring SBDCs for their service to America’s small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. The national winners of these awards are:
- The Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center Region Network, national winner of the SBDC Lead Center of the Year Award, and,
- The Massachusetts SBDC network’s Massachusetts Export Center, national winner of the SBDC Service Center Excellence and Innovation Award
Numerous Champion awards, an Entrepreneurial Success award, and a Small Business Exporter of the Year award were also won by SBDC network members and clients in their states, including:
Veteran Small Business Champion Awards
- Phil Belangie, for Montana -- a member of the Montana SBDC network
- David Kronour, for Ohio -- a member of the Ohio SBDC network
- Timothy Woods, for the Dallas/Ft. Worth District -- a member of the North Texas SBDC Network
Women in Business Champion Awards
- Darcie Fulkerson (Webeclectic.com), for Central California -- a client of California’s U.C. Merced SBDC Regional Network
Minority Small Business Champion Awards
- Fernando Rodriguez (Carniceria Vallarta), for Central California -- a client of the U.C. Merced SBDC Regional Network
- Crystal Kendrick (The Voice of Your Customer), for Ohio -- a client of the Ohio SBDC
- D. Jorge Urbina (Law Office of D. Jorge Urbina / Sendera Title), for the Dallas/Ft. Worth District -- an advocate of the North Texas SBDC Network
Financial Services Champion Awards
- Keith McLaughlin, a bank officer in Missouri who serves as chairman of the Missouri SBDC Advisory Board, was named National Financial Services Champion of the Year.
Financial Services Champion award winners in their states also included:
- C. Russell Slappey, for Florida -- a member of the SBDC at the University of Central Florida Advisory Board Council
- Patricia Peterman Piteo, for Ohio -- a client of the Ohio SBDC
- Judy Loden, for the Dallas/Ft. Worth District -- an advocate of the North Texas SBDC Network
Entrepreneurial Success Award
- Alphonso Wofford (CDO Technologies), for Ohio -- a client of the Ohio SBDC
Small Business Exporter of the Year Award
- Jim Anderson (ETCetera International), for the Dallas/Ft. Worth District -- a client of the North Texas SBDC Network
