 | | Cassius Butts Regional Administrator U.S. Small Business Administration |
A Farewell To One of SBA's Finest- Adele KehoeI would like to take this June issue of the SBA Region IV Monthly Newsletter to thank Adele Kehoe, the Administrative Resources Coordinator for the SBA Region 4 Office, for her hard work and dedication to her job and to this office. Adele is retiring from the SBA after decades of service to this agency. She is not replaceable and her institutional knowledge of the SBA will be terribly missed. Congratulations and thank you to Adele Kehoe for the excellence she has brought to the lives of the SBA team across the nation. We wish Adele all of the best with her well-deserved retirement. News From SBA District Directors Across the Southeast: | |  |
 | | Tom Todt, Alabama District Office The Alabama District Office helped the Huntsville-Madison Chamber of Commerce kick off National Small Business Week with its "I Shop Local" campaign. During the press conference District Director Tom Todt introduced Ellen Didier, Alabama's Small Business Person of the Year. Didier is founder of Red Sage Communications, and was nominated by the Women's Business Center of North Alabama, which is co-located in the Chamber building. Didier stated that the award is not just a small business person award, it's a small business success, and credited her staff: "If this business depended just on me, it would have been run into the ground a long time ago." Didier also said that owning her own business gave her "the flexibility to pick which 60 hours per week I want to work." |
 | | Wilfredo J. Gonzalez North Florida District Office The North Florida District Office hosted a training opportunity on June 5 for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs interested in obtaining financing ranging from $500 to $50,000. The training session was attended by nearly 50 individuals comprised of small business owners, veterans, and several non-profit groups. The SBA entered into a Strategic Alliance Memorandum with the City of Jacksonville in 2012 in an effort to increase microlending opportunities for residents in Duval County and the surrounding areas. Read More....... |
 | | Francisco "Pancho" Marrero South Florida District Office The South Florida district welcomes back Tina Davis, the district's new administrative officer. Davis was previously employed here 15 years ago before she continued her federal career progression at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., as both a civil service and Air Force reserve human relations specialist. For a decade, she provided both military and federal employees employment and career services, counseling, and support. Welcome back to SBA, Tina! South Florida district is completing the first Boots to Business classes at the military installations in the South Florida district. Classes were held at NAS Key West, June 12-13; and Patrick AFB, June 19-20. Active duty military personnel and their spouses are enthusiastic about their entrepreneurship plans as they transition out of military service. It's also a great way for them to meet some of our district resource partners who they will work with in the future to make their small business dreams a reality. The South Florida District has recently signed a statewide Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM)with the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This SAM follows the administration's MOU with the Hispanic Chamber's national leadership last year. South Florida is home to 6 of the 10 largest Hispanic-owned businesses and the state is home to the largest number of companies on the HispanicBusiness 500 list. |
 | | Terri Denison Georgia District Office Many Faces. One Dream. Atlanta August 12-13, 2013. On August 12 – 13, the SBA Georgia District will host a Many Faces, One Dream event as part of the Agency's co-sponsorship with the National Black Justice Coalition. The two day event will include various forums, panel discussions and access to resources targeted to the region's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities of color. The National Black Justice Coalition, the nation's leading Black (LGBT) civil rights organization, is partnering with SBA to host events in 13 cities across the country to bring focus to the communities' economic power, innovation and creativity in the small business sphere. The harsh reality is that workplace and employment discrimination have especially grim consequences in LGBT communities. In fact, the Williams Institute found that between 15 percent and 43 percent of gay and transgender workers have experienced some form of discrimination on the job solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Many Faces. One Dream. serves as an innovative approach to creating sustainable economic opportunities in the LGBT community. Stay tuned to www.sba.gov/ga for up-to-date details as they become available. |
 | | Ralph Ross Kentucky District Office Kentucky Celebrates Small Business Week: The SBA Kentucky District Office in conjunction with the Kentucky SBDC, celebrated Small Business Week at the State Capitol on May 22. SBA award winners from Kentucky were recognized, as were Kentucky SBDC Business Pacesetters, which focuses on outstanding businesses operating in and contributing to Kentucky's economy. Find out who won! Read More Here............... |
 | | Janita Stewart Mississippi District Office Mississippi Statewide 8(a) Application and HUBZone Program Conference The SBA Mississippi District Office and the South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center, will host a State-wide 8(a) Application Conference and HUBZone Program Conference on Thursday, July 25th in Gulfport, MS. For more information on the conferences, please visit SBA Mississippi District Office web site HERE.
Mississippi 2013 Small Business Week and Lender Awards Reception The Mississippi SBA District Office will honor its 2013 SBA Mississippi Small Business Week and Top Lender Award Winners on July 11 in Jackson, MS. Jeff E. Good and Daniel J. Blumenthal, Owners of Sal & Mookie's New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint of Jackson, MS have been named the SBA 2013 Mississippi Small Business Persons of the Year. Small Business Champions and Top Lenders of the state will also be honored.
SBA and MVSU Small Business Development, Access to Capital and Contracting Opportunities Conference Scheduled June 27 SBA and Mississippi Valley State University will host a 'Small Business Development, Access to Capital & Contracting Opportunities Conference' June 27, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.in the Business Education Building Mississippi Valley State University 14000, Hwy 82 West, Itta Bena, MS. Please contact the SBA Mississippi District Office for more information, www.sba.gov/MS. |
 | | Lynn Douthett North Carolina District Office On May 21, 2013, SBA Administrator Karen Mills visited Fort Bragg, NC and announced a new nationwide lending initiative for veterans. SBA's top 20 lenders signed a pledge to increase lending to veterans by 5%. This helps to ensure adequate capital is available for veteran entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. Administrator Mills also visited with transitioning service members who have chosen to participate in SBA's Operation Boots to Business (B2B) Program, which trains veterans and transitioning service members in business entrepreneurship. |
SBA Administrator Mills at Fort Bragg, NC with representatives of the SBA lending community from across the country and high-ranking officials from the Department of Defense. | |  |
 | | Elliott Cooper South Carolina District Office The South Carolina District Office is launching a webinar series targeted to small business entrepreneurs, lenders and small contractors. The webinar series includes: Small Business Power Lunch series: Lunch-and-learn webinars covering a variety of topics for entrepreneurs at all stages of business. Lender Training series: Webinars for lenders of all experience levels, from institutions seeking the basics on SBA lending to PLP lenders seeking information on new processes Small Business Contractor series: Webinars on government contracting addressing topics and FAQs for small businesses at all contracting experience levels. The first webinar, Marketing Your Services to the Government, was held Wednesday, June 19 and was part of the Small Business Contractor series. The next webinar will be the SBA Small Business Resource webinar – part of the Small Business Power Lunch series – next Wednesday, June 26, at noon. (click here for more details.) Stay tuned for upcoming webinars! |
 | | Walter Perry Tennessee District Office
Earlier this month, the Tennessee District and the Tennessee SBDC hosted the 4th Annual Procurement Summit on Government Contracting on the campus of Tennessee State University in Nashville. Procurement officers from ten (10) federal agencies offered information on upcoming procurements in which small businesses can participate. Also featured were special briefings on the Affordable Care Act and how to small businesses can market their products and services through the GSA schedule. With $789 million in Fiscal Year 2012 procurement dollars going to small businesses in Tennessee, the over 100 participants were fully informed of how they can contribute to the federal marketplace. Exporting Events on the Horizon in Tennessee: The Tennessee District Office will be a partner of upcoming Export University 101 half-day seminars in Knoxville and Kingsport on July 10 & 11, 2013, respectively, with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Export Assistance Center. These seminars will equip small business owners with practical tools to initiate or expand into international markets. For additional information, interested participants can contact Robert Leach, Export Assistance Center, at 865-545-4637. |
| | |
| This email was sent to sjr3gb659yw41fx.jjjzz@blogger.com by Small Business Administration (SBA) · 409 3rd St, SW · Washington DC 20416 · 1-800-827-5722 |  | |
