Awardees from Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado and Mississippi will be honored during National Small Business Week ceremony in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, March 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzmánhead of the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and President Biden’s Cabinet voice for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, recognized four SBA Resource Partners of the Year. Awardees (from Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado and Mississippi) will be honored at a ceremony during National Small Business Week, April 30-May 1, 2024.
“This year’s Resource Partner of the Year honorees are making a real difference in the lives of countless small business owners: connecting them with tools and resources and empowering them with the strength of their networks and expertise.” saying Administrator Guzmán. “The SBA is proud to recognize all honorees for their achievements and is grateful for their continued work to elevate our nation’s veterans, women entrepreneurs, and America’s 33 million small businesses.”
SBA resource partners, funded in part by the SBA, include SCORE, small business development centers, women’s business centers, and veterans’ business outreach centers. They provide American small businesses with technical assistance, training, and access to capital. “These annual awards recognize winners’ impact on local economic growth, job creation and supporting our nation’s newest entrepreneurs.”
“We congratulate these tremendous honorees as SBA Resource Partners, distinguished for their service and impact to our small business owners from Washington state to California and Florida,” said the Associate Administrator of the Business Development Office Mark Madrid. “As our small business owners across the United States continue to show resilience and hope, our network of SBA resource partners leverages the power of SBA tools and resources.”
The SBA congratulates the 2024 Resource Partner winners in four categories: SCORE Award Chapter of the Year from southeastern Wisconsin; he Women’s Business Center of the Year Award of Livonia, Michigan; he Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award by the SBDC of Aurora, Colorado; and the Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award of Starkville, Mississippi.
SCORE National Chapter of the Year:
SCORE Southeastern Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Lisa Foster, Chapter President
SCORE, an SBA resource partner, named SCORE Southeast Wisconsin Chapter of the Year 2024 for its outstanding support of small businesses.
In 2023, SCORE Southeast Wisconsin provided 2,400 tutoring sessions, a 70% increase over the previous year; supported more than 1,000 small businesses, a 33% increase over the previous year; and increased workshop attendance by 500%. The chapter hosted, co-hosted, or participated with community partners in 73 events with specific outreach to small business owners in Black, Latinx, Veteran, Native, and rural communities.
“I am grateful to be recognized for what we have accomplished,” said Lisa Foster, who serves as SCORE Southeast Wisconsin president and associate district director. “More importantly, I hope that by sharing how we’ve taken new approaches and created new partnerships, SCORE will reach and serve more people who need help overcoming challenges on the path to running a successful business.”
Women’s Business Center of the Year:
Great Lakes Women’s Business Council – Livonia, Michigan
Shawntay LaNesha Dixon, Director
The Great Lakes Women’s Business Council currently serves more than 15,000 business owners. Shawntay LeNesha Dixon serves as Director of Business Education, where she works on the development and implementation of business development programs.
Under Shawntay’s leadership, the Great Lakes Business Women’s Council has been recognized by the Association of Women’s Business Centers, a national resource partner of the SBA. They were also recognized by the Michigan District of the SBA as a Center of Women’s Business Excellence.
Shawntay enjoys helping women entrepreneurs, representing their voices on Capitol Hill on multiple occasions, and sharing the impact women have on the economy and in their communities.
Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award:
Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC) – aurora, colorado
Marcia McGilley, Director
The Aurora-South Metro SBDC offers confidential, no-cost one-on-one consulting, low-cost workshops and events, and business resource referrals to entrepreneurs in Arapahoe and Douglas counties in Colorado.
Aurora-South Metro (SBDC) has been part of the Colorado SBDC Network since the program began in 1989. The Center covers Arapahoe and Douglas counties and a small portion of Adams County. As the City of Aurora is a minority-majority city, the Aurora-South Metro SBDC partners with many refugee, immigrant, and underserved communities.
Specifically, the staff is committed to fostering client growth and resilience, and the team’s dedication and strategic insight has manifested itself in local economic impact. The Aurora-South Metro SBDC empowers entrepreneurs in the communities they serve and makes a difference in the small business world.
Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award:
Mississippi State University Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)– Starkville, Mississippi
Mark Scott, Director
Mississippi State University has hosted the VBOC program since 2015. Mark Scott is the VBOC program director and manager at Mississippi State University, where he is responsible for the planning, organization and execution of the VBOC cooperative agreement with the Small Business Administration. US companies
Mark’s experience includes serving as an active duty officer, in the Army National Guard/Reserve component, and serving in key roles in business development for Raytheon Company in the defense contracting sector. Following his retirement, Mark co-founded a consulting firm focused on the defense community.
For more information about National Small Business Week, visit www.sba.gov/NSBW.
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Cosponsorship Authorization #24-1-C. SBA’s participation in this co-sponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any co-sponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.
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About National Small Business Week
In the spirit of National Small Business Week, we celebrate the unprecedented growth of entrepreneurship in the United States, marked by 16 million new business applications since the Biden-Harris Administration took office. This increase highlights the dynamism and innovation that American entrepreneurs bring to our local communities. The SBA will continue to champion the efforts of small businesses and the vital role they play in driving economic prosperity across the country.
About the US Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps fuel the American dream of business ownership. As the only resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a crisis. declared. disaster. Provides services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. For more information, visit www.sba.gov.
CONTACT: Christine Saah-Nazer U.S. Small Business Administration 202-756-0304 Christine.saahnazer@sba.gov Han Nguyen U.S. Small Business Administration 202-756-0304 Rebecca Galanti U.S. Small Business Administration 202-756-0304 rebecca.galanti@sba.gov
