Following the SBA State of the Region Address, Regional Administrator Cassius F. Butts joined a Fireside Chat featuring Civil Rights Activist Ambassador Andrew J. Young (seated) and (Left to Right) Lara O'Connor Hodgson, CEO, NOWaccount, News Journalist icon Monica Pearson, and Ed Baker, Executive in Residence, Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Also joining the conversation was Dr. John Silvanus Wilson Jr., President of Morehouse College (not pictured).
On Tuesday, February 23rd Regional Administrator Cassius F. Butts presented his final SBA State of the Region Address. He is honored to have been introduced by Congressman David Scott. The sold out event was streamed live from Morehouse College across the Southeast. Regional Administrator Butts thanks the Region IV district offices for reaching out to their resource partners and inviting them to view the address from their respectful offices. Stay tuned for the Address to be placed on the SBA You Tube Channel. Please read an op-ed released by Regional Administrator Butts regarding the SBA State of the Region Address below.
> SBA State of the Region Op-Ed
What's Happening In Your District For Small Business:
 | | Alabama District OfficeTom Todt, District Director |
February has been an active month for Alabama district staff, who have been to all corners of the great State of Alabama to build relationships through participating in the following events:
--Gulf Coast Procurement Opportunities Conference, University of South Alabama SBDC, Mobile
--Jacksonville State University SBDC Small Business Lending Symposium Gadsden/Etowah County Chamber
--Dothan Spotlight on Business, Dothan Chamber
--SBA Contracting Programs, Mobile Area Chamber
--Small Business Workshop, Birmingham Area Career Center
--Lending Workshop, Opp-Covington County Chamber
--Marshall Space Flight Center Small Business Alliance Meeting, Huntsville
--US Coast Guard Yellow Ribbon Event, Orange Beach
Pictured above: The SBA Alabama District staff, with SBA Administrator Contreras-Sweet on a recent visit to Birmingham. Not Shown: Anise Arrington, Latise Henderson, Brent McMahan.
 | | North Florida District OfficeWilfredo J. Gonzalez, District Director |
On January 20, District Director Wilfredo Gonzalez attended the Leadership Dinner at the Florida Governor's Mansion. The event was hosted by Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott. The Governor's Leadership Dinner is a unique opportunity for influential members of the community from across the state to join together.
Pictured: Wilfredo Gonzalez, SBA District Director; First Lady Ann Scott; and Governor Rick Scott
 | | South Florida District OfficeFrancisco "Pancho" Marrero |
The South Florida District Office is actively recruiting for its two Emerging Leaders program classes that will take place in Miami and Tampa starting in April 2016. The SBA's Emerging Leaders program is an executive-level, intensive, entrepreneurship education series that includes approximately 100 hours of classroom time and provides the opportunity for small business owners to work with experienced mentors, attend workshops, and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and financial communities. Participants who complete the course emerge with a 3-year strategic plan to grow their businesses. The application deadline is March 1st and interested business owners can obtain program details at our local SBA website and apply at: http://www.interise.org/sbaemergingleaders.
In celebration of Black History Month, Althea Harris from the South District Office was invited to present on a panel discussion during the National Black MBA's Annual Meeting that took place on campus February 18th. The panel discussion was entitled: "Access To The Dream: Celebrating The Past & Preparing For the Future." The South Florida District Office has a recently renewed 2-year Strategic Alliance Memorandum with Florida Memorial University through SBA's ongoing effort to partner with Historically Black Colleges & Universities to bring the wealth of SBA's programs and services to college students and aspiring entrepreneurs.
 | | Georgia District OfficeTerri Denison, District Director |
The Georgia District Office has announced that it is receiving nominations for Georgia's 2016 Small Business Champion Awards. As part of SBA's forty year old national awards program, the Georgia District Office recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the success of small businesses in the state. This year the categories include:
- Financial Services Champion
- Home Based Business Champion
- LGBT Business Advocate of the Year
- Small Business Media Advocate
- Minority Small Business Champion
- Veterans Small Business Champion
- Women and Business Champion
In addition to the champion award, nominations are also being accepted for the following:
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Family Owned Business of the Year
- The Entrepreneurial Success Award
Award criteria and directions for submitting nominations can be found on www.sba.gov/ga.
The deadline for nominations is March 11, 2016. Awards will be presented at an awards luncheon hosted by The Georgia Lenders Quality Circle the first week in May.
For additional information, please contact the Georgia District Office at 404-331-0100.
 | | Kentucky District OfficeRalph Ross, District Director |
SBA and SCORE Assist 74 Kentucky Entrepreneurship Students
The Kentucky District Office, along with six SCORE volunteers from Chapter 75 in Louisville, did a presentation and offered counseling sessions to 74 entrepreneurship students from Lindsey Wilson College.
Dr. Linda Grider, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Chair of the Business and CIS Division for Lindsey Wilson College, a private college in Southern Kentucky, brought the undergraduate students from four different entrepreneurial-focused classes to the event. Students had formed teams of two to six participants and developed business plan concepts for their classwork.
After the presentations, SBA staff and SCORE counselors met for two hours with the student teams to answer questions about their specific ideas and offer advice and suggestions on ways to improve the business plans.
Dr. Grider stated, "It was a great learning experience for our students. On the trip home, students were talking about what a great opportunity it was and how fortunate they were to meet you and learn from your expertise and experience."
In April, these students will compete with peers from universities and colleges across Kentucky during a statewide business plan competition. The top three teams will receive up to $30,000 in cash as well as in-kind and mentoring services to launch their businesses.
 | | Mississippi District OfficeJanita Stewart, District Director |
The SBA Mississippi District Office watched the live stream of Regional Administrator Cassius Butts' "2016 State of the Region" address event held Tuesday, February 23rd in the SBA Mississippi District Office Training and Conference Room in Jackson, Mississippi. The address highlighted some of the successes achieved in the region during FFY 2015. The live stream watch was attended by SBA District Office staff, congressional office representatives, federal, state and private sector resource partners and media. SBA Gulfport Branch office staff also tuned in to the live feed.
Effective February 21st, Michael Baltzgar became the new area wide PCR located in the SBA Mississippi District Office. Mississippi District Director Janita Stewart gave the oath of office to Michael.
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Michael previously served as a Contract Specialist with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard - Ice Breaker Construction Tender Section in Norfolk, VA. He also served as a senior Contract Specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Acquisition Center in Fredericksburg, VA and a Supervisory Contract Specialist and Small Business Specialist with VA Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 9 in Murfreesboro, TN. Mike retired from the military with 23 years of service (20 years as an E7/Chief Petty Officer with the U.S. Coast Guard and 3 years with the U.S. Navy) with assignments in San Diego and Long Beach California, Honolulu, Hawaii and Washington, DC. Mike is FAC-C Level III Certified.
Mike has been married to his wife Kim for 25 years and has a daughter.
The SBA Mississippi District Office is excited to have Mike's presence to better serve small businesses in Mississippi and beyond.
Pictured L to R are: Gary Reed, Mississippi Deputy District Director, Michael Baltzgar, PCR and Janita Stewart, Mississippi District Director
 | | North Carolina District OfficeLynn Douthett, District Director |
On February 5, SBA North Carolina District Director Lynn Douthett served on a panel at the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) National Training and Alumni National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference and business plan competition was hosted by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University. Over 250 veterans and spouses attended the three-day event.
From left: Lynn Douthett, SBA North Carolina District Director; Dr. Mike Haynie, Vice Chancellor, Veteran and Military Affairs as well as Executive Director and Founder, Institute for Veterans and Military Families; and Barbara Carson, Associate Administrator, SBA Office of Veteran's Business Development.
On February 12, the NCDO hosted a Hispanic business owners' roundtable. The purpose of the roundtable was to assess the challenges which the business owners face as well as to identify possible tactics for solving them.
Above: About 20 Hispanic business owners attended the roundtable, held in the district office training room.
Above: Roundtable participant Manolo Betancur with District Director Lynn Douthett. Manolo arrived in this country from Colombia with only $900 in his pocket, shortly getting a job as a dishwasher. Eventually he would go on to open two Charlotte businesses – Mama's Coffee House and Las Delicias Bakery – as well as gain U.S. citizenship.
Above, from left, Hispanic business owners' roundtable partners: Rocio Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte; Eileen Joyce, SBA Lead EDS and facilitator of the roundtable; Jose Alejandro Donoso, Charlotte SCORE counselor and Hispanic community liaison for SCORE; and Astrid Chirinos, President, Latin American Development Corporation.
 | | South Carolina District OfficeElliott Cooper, District Director |
The SBA South Carolina District Office will participate in the 2016 Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification Forum "Take It To The Next Level" hosted by the State of South Carolina's Office of Small & Minority Business Contracting and Certification on March 2, 2016 in Columbia, SC. Come and learn how the SBA can assist you in taking your business to the next level.
 | | Tennessee District OfficeWalter Perry, District Director |
n Fiscal Year 2016 to date, $103 million has been provided through 168 SBA loans across the state of Tennessee made by 58 lenders. For your calendar, save the date for our annual Tennessee Procurement Summit, which will be held June 8 at the Avon Williams Campus of Tennessee State University in Downtown Nashville. The SBA Tennessee District Office participated in the State of the Region (SOTR) event on Tuesday February 23rd with attendees and office staff also submitting a photo for the SBA Daily. Jacqueline Merritt, Economic Development Specialist, and David Tiller, Veterans Business Development Officer, participated in Tennessee's first ReBoot event for 2016 in Nashville; they were joined by Robert Seitz of the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) in Starkville, MS. International Trade will be highlighted on March 9th with the Export Food Forum 101 in Nashville where District Director Perry will present a panel on SBA export loans. District Office staff and management will also participate in the March 16th Health & Human Services (HHS) federal contracting event, "Back 2 Business" in Nashville; the Women's Small Business Expo on March 17th and the Small Business Symposium on March 23rd presented by the U.S. Postal Service as part of the National Postal Forum event which is expected to draw over 3,000 attendees to Nashville's Opryland Hotel.
