 | | Cassius F. ButtsRegional AdministratorU.S. Small Business Administration |
 Let's Honor National Small Business Week Across The Southeast. We have a LOT of Small Business Success to Celebrate! #DreamSmallBizSmall businesses are being celebrated in every corner of this great nation in early May. Please be sure to check with your local SBA district office to participate in this national celebration (find your local office here). Small Business owners, lenders, community partners, leaders, entrepreneurs- this week is for YOU! I will be kicking off National Small Business Week with SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet on Monday, May 4th in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information on this event, please click here. For information on events happening across the country in celebration of National Small Business Week, please visit here. Thank you Small Business Owners! We are celebrating in honor of YOU! Achieve Smart, Bold, and Accessible Small Business Gains with the SBA By Cassius F. Butts, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration Government may be historically slow to adapt, but adapt we must. Therefore, under U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, we've rebranded the SBA to stand for "Smart, Bold and Accessible." > Read more What's Happening for Small Business In Your Area?State By State | | Alabama DistrictTom Todt, Alabama District Director On March 26, the Alabama District Office, working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs and the Alabama State University Small Business Development Center, held an Alabama Veteran Business Opportunity Showcase on the campus of Alabama State University. Over 50 veteran business owners attended training sessions on doing business with the VA and other government agencies. Keynote speakers included Rear Admiral Clyde Marsh, USN (Ret), Commissioner Alabama State Department of Veteran Affairs and Dr. Gwendolyn E. Boyd, President Alabama State University. Veteran business owners also participated in networking sessions with various VA PDMs and major business procurement officials including Hyundai in Montgomery. |
Left to Right: Alabama District Director Tom Todt, Rear Admiral Clyde Marsh USN (Ret) and Jerry Ellison, Alabama SBDC Network Procurement Program | |  |
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Left to Right: Alabama DD Tom Todt, Dr. Gwendolyn E. Boyd, President, Alabama State University, and Lorenza Patrick Director ASU Small Business Development Center |
Erin Andrew, SBA's Assistant Administrator for Women's Business Ownership, spent a busy day in Huntsville, AL on April 7. She appeared on "Let's Connect" Talk Radio for Entrepreneurs on WTKI in Huntsville. She chaired a women-owned business lending roundtable, was the keynote speaker at the Women's Business Center of North Alabama's (WBCNA) Federal Procurement Program for Women event and then held a trade and export roundtable at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Lead Lender Relations Specialist and District Office technical representative for the Women's Business Center Program, L.D. Ralph, was instrumental in arranging the day's agenda. In addition to woman-owned business owners, attendees included representatives of regional and community banks as well as mission-based lenders. Left to right: Alabama DD Tom Todt, SBA Assistant Administrator Erin Andrew and Lead Lender Relations Specialist L.D. Ralph | |  |
 | | North Florida DistrictWilfredo J. Gonzalez, District Director The Atlanta Federal Executive Board's Regional Working Group hosted a roundtable discussion in Jacksonville, Florida on April 16. The event was designed to generate awareness to Asian-American and Pacific Islander owned small businesses in the area about federal procurement opportunities. Mildred Quinley, Director for the Regional Office of Small Business Utilization at the General Services Administration(GSA); Tisa Clark, Business Opportunity Specialist for the Small Business Administration; and Don Zavesky, Procurement Technical Assistance Center Representative from the University of North Florida provided training to the group on identifying opportunities and certifying through local, state and federal entities. |
Pictured Left to Right: Chastity Ash, GSA Lead Small Business Technical Analyst; Mildred Quinley, GSA Director for the Regional Office of Small Business Utilization; Carmen Gonzalez, SBA Business Opportunity Specialist; Perryen Garnenez, President, ACCP Services, Inc.; Parag Shah, President Indo-US Chamber of Commerce of Jacksonville; Jatinder Bhan, President Elect of the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce of Jacksonville; Tisa Clark, SBA Business Opportunity Specialist; and Don Zavesky, Procurement Technical Assistance Center Representative. | |  |
 | | South Florida DistrictFrancisco "Pancho" Marrero, District Director "April Means Business!" at the South Florida District Office in Miami. The staff is hosting a workshop-a-day in the district conference room delivering 90-minute workshops to Miami-area small business owners and entrepreneurs. Workshop topics include contracting and financing assistance as well as opportunities to network with other area small business owners. Given the response to our program, we might need a larger conference room! We launched our district Emerging Leaders Classes this month in two locations: Miami and Tampa. Given the large response, Miami's class size was increased from 15 to 20 students and those students began Apr. 7. Our Tampa location, the first time Emerging Leaders was offered there, started with 17 business owners on Apr. 16. Six months from now, not only will these business owners have a strategic plan to help bring them to the next leve,l but they will be a part of a new professional network of contacts to help them meet their objectives! SBA South Florida congratulates our district and state winners of our annual SBA South Florida District Small Business Person of the Year Awards for 2015. The district will be recognizing all our winners in area events during May. Each year the nominations received seems to grow and each year I am more impressed by the professionalism and diversity of our South Florida small business community. Congratulations to all that entered! Miami was chosen as the "Kick Off" city for National Small Business Month, May 4-8. SBA Administrator Maria Contreras Sweet will be in town for several events highlighting small business in south Florida. She will also play a part in opening events for Miami's eMerge Americas, a five-day technology conference designed to connect entrepreneurs, investors and other business resource leaders. |
On Thursday, Apr. 1, Lender Relations Specialist Frank Velasco gave a workshop on "Financing Your Business." More than a dozen small business owners had their questions answered on this business topic. Velasco was a bank manager before joining SBA and he was able to provide a valuable and entertaining perspective to those attending. | |  |
 | | On Wednesday, Apr. 1, Assistant District Director 8(a) Business Development Jeffery Campbell presented a workshop on "How to Sell Goods and Services to the Federal Government." More than two dozen small business owners had their questions answered on this business topic. Several potential 8(a) program candidates were also identified. In the photo, Campbell answers a question about the importance of a company being registered in the SAM database.
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 | | Georgia DistrictTerri Denison, District Director The Georgia District Office recognized its 2015 Small Business Week award winners at a luncheon hosted by the Georgia Lender Quality Circle at Villa Christina Restaurant, in Atlanta. Winners this year include: Scott Soesbee founder and President of FlameOFF Coatings, Inc., Small Business Person of the Year. Retired Master Sergeant Andrew Carlisle, Veteran Small Business Champion; Gale Baldwin, Managing Editor/Business Editor of the Savannah Morning News, Media Champion; Randy Griffin, President of CSRA Business Lending in Augusta, Financial Services Champion; Bishop O.C. Allen, Vision Cathedral of Atlanta, LGBT Business Champion; Dr. Robert Yancy, SCORE Atlanta Chair, Minority Business Champion of the Year; Antoinette and Marionette Ball, cofounders of Women Employment Opportunity Project, Women in Business Champions and Travis Allen, founder of the iSchool Initiative as Young Entrepreneur. Atlanta Business Chronicle Editor Ed Baker was the Keynote for the event. |
 | | Kentucky DistrictRalph Ross, District Director A few weeks ago, the SBA's Office of Investment and Innovation kicked off the SBIR Road Tour in Louisville, KY with SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet and Director of Innovation and Technology John Williams. The Road Tour is a national outreach campaign led by SBA in partnership with the 11 SBIR/STTR participating federal agencies and local state programs. The Road Tour focuses on information and engagement of the technology seed funding opportunities provided by the $2.5 billion grant and contract program for entrepreneurs, innovators, technologists, and others who are involved in small business and high technology growth startups through federally funded focused R&D. While in Louisville, the administrator moderated a roundtable with scientists, SBIR recipients, entrepreneurs, business leaders and government officials at a high tech healthcare accelerator. She received feedback from roundtable participants on the impact of the SBIR/STTR programs as well as ways SBA could become more engaged with entrepreneurs who are developing disruptive technologies. Ms. Contreras-Sweet also met with Kentucky District Office team members and resource partners, was the keynote speaker at an SBIR/STTR conference and visited Flavorman and Strategic Communications, two successful businesses in Louisville that have used SBA programs to fuel their growth.
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 | | Mississippi DistrictJanita Stewart, District DirectorOn March 26, 2015, District Director Janita Stewart, Deputy District Director Gary Reed, and SBDC Project Officer Lance Foster of the Mississippi District Office attended the Grand Opening of the new Small Business Development Center (SBDC) located on the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) campus in Hattiesburg, MS. The USM SBDC is designed to coach business clients from the feasibility stage through first planning steps to the needed business plans, loan applications and crucial details to help improve each new small business chances of surviving and thriving.
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Pictured left to right: Precious Thompson, Mississippi SBDC Administrative Officer; Mitch McDowell, Mississippi SBDC Southern Regional Director; Rita Mitchell, Counselor USM SBDC; Robert Forster, Mississippi SBDC Associate State Director; Janita R. Stewart, SBA Mississippi District Director; Gary K. Reed, SBA Mississippi Deputy District Director; Laura Barber, Mississippi SBDC Project Manager; and Doug Gurley, Mississippi SBDC State Director. | |  |
On April 9th, the Mississippi District Director Janita Stewart and Deputy Director Gary Reed participated in a signing ceremony at the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, to execute a cosponsorship with a host of organizations supporting the Emerging Leaders Initiative.  | | Left to right: Jim Finley (EL Instructor), John Brandon of the Mississippi Development Authority), Cynthia Buchanan of the GreaterJackson Chamber Partnership, Gary Reed, Janita Stewart, Shellie Michael of the Mississippi Minority Business Alliance, Inc. and Dr. William McHenry of the Mississippi e-Center @JSU.
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 | | North Carolina DistrictLynn Douthett, District Director North Carolina District Welcomes Steve White Steve White recently joined the North Carolina District Office team and took over the Senior Area Manager position based out of Asheville. Steve will assist business owners, lenders and government contracting entities throughout the 25 westernmost counties in the state. Steve's experience with the SBA began in 1995 while working as a commercial loan packager for a privately owned bank in Tennessee. Prior to SBA, Steve worked as a mortgage lending consultant in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Steve served in the US Navy from August 1989 to June of 1995 and then he served again in the US Army from May 2003 to October 2012. In between service in the Navy and the Army, Steve received his Bachelor of Arts from East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN and his Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY in 2003. |
A few dozen resource partners, lenders and well-wishers joined Steve at a meet-and-greet at his work site on April 14. Among the attendees, from left: Dane Barrager, Asheville SCORE; Allen Steinberg, Smoky Mountain Development Corp.; SBA Sr. Area Manager Steve White; Glenn Cox, Handmade in America; Gary Heisey, Blue Ridge Community College; Patricia Costello, The Support Center; Matt Raker, AdvantageWest; Brenda Mills, City of Asheville; and Duane Adams, Asheville-Buncombe Tech Community College. | |  |
 | | South Carolina DistrictElliott Cooper, District Director On Wednesday, May 6, the SBA South Carolina District Office, along with five other small business-focused agencies and nonprofits, will present the 2015 Salute to Small Business at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in downtown Columbia. At the Salute to Small Business, attendees can: · Find their next big deal at the Procurement Opportunity Matchmaker sessions, where they can connect one-on-one with 30 big-name buyers like the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Boeing and the Columbia Metropolitan Airport · Find their next big client or business idea at the Networking Space, where they can grab coffee and meet with other businesses all morning long · Find experts, resources and other vendor at the Exhibitor Showcase, where they can visit with a variety of bankers, businesses, agencies and experts · Find the state's top small business leaders at the Small Business Awards Luncheon, where they can rub elbows with the winners of the SBA's South Carolina Small Business & Advocacy Awards. Now in its twelfth year, the Salute to Small Business is South Carolina's annual Small Business Week event. Attendees are encouraged to register. For more information, visit http://scsalutetosmallbiz.com. Cosponsorship Authorization #15-0464-124. SBA's participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact: Mary Sparrow, 803-252-2197. |
 | | Tennessee DistrictWalter Perry, District Director The TN District Office was very busy in April with activities and visits. The office hosted the very first Nashville-based Emerging Leaders class, joining the seven years of successful E-Leaders classes in Memphis. On April 22nd the TN District Office hosted Assistant Administrator for Women's Business Ownership, Erin Andrew, and participated in the ribbon cutting for the first Women's Business Center in Nashville, attended by over 150 Nashvillians. Ms. Andrew also hosted a Trade Roundtable at the District Office with 33 attendees. On April 23rd the District Office hosted SBA Administrator, Maria Contreras-Sweet. The Administrator hosted a panel with Conexion Americas, and Nashville Mayor, Karl Dean, at Nashville's Casa Azafran, the same location which hosted President Obama in November 2014 for his keynote immigration speech and press conference. The Administrator also received a tour of La Hacienda Tortilla Factory, an immigrant owned business, where thousands of dozens of tortillas are made daily. The Administrator keynoted a luncheon hosted by the Tennessee Latin American Chamber of Commerce (LACC) and later chaired a roundtable with the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NAHCC) in Nashville. She also visited Petra Capital, SBA National SBIC of the Year for 2012. District Director Walter Perry and Deputy District Director, LaTanya Channel, along with PIO, David Tiller attended the annual LGBT Chamber of Commerce Luncheon where DD Perry and Chamber Director, Lisa Howe, signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum. DD Perry also presented the Small Business Diversity Award at the stellar event attended by 300 in downtown Nashville. The District will participate in a Veterans outreach event on May 8 in Johnson City with federal and state agencies providing "Services for Those Who Have Served" in the areas of housing, small business, employment and Veteran support services. |
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