Washington Metropolitan Area 2012 Small Business AwardsEntrepreneurs and local business supporters to be honored at May 2 ceremony.
WASHINGTON - The Washington Metropolitan Area Small Business Awards are presented by the Washington Metropolitan Area District Office of the Small Business Administration each year to recognize those individuals and institutions whose outstanding contributions helped make the D.C. metro region a great place to do business. The honorees this year include two Washington, D.C. businesses, a Fairfax County official, a dedicated volunteer management consultant, and three banks. Additionally, special recognition is being given to a Federal procurement team whose innovative approach is benefitting both their agency and the local economy. "It's exciting to honor and recognize small business owners and the small business champions who support their achievements. These are the visionaries, innovators and risk takers in our country and they deserve our admiration," said District Director and Acting Regional Administrator Bridget Bean. "I believe our entrepreneurs and small business owners – particularly those in the Washington Metro Area – will continue to drive America's ability to out-innovate and stay competitive across the globe." Previously, the SBA Washington Metro District announced that the 2012 District of Columbia Small Business Persons of the Year are CEO Ryung Suh and President Mark H. Chichester of Georgetown-based Atlas Research. Women in Business Champion is awarded to an individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of women's business ownership. This year, the Washington Metro Area Women in Business Champion goes to D.C.'s Evelyn Bandoh, principal of EAB Creative Planning Services. A writer, speaker, trainer and coach, Evelyn is the personality behind the blog Fiscally Fit Fashionista. EAB Creative Planning works with artists, craftspeople and lifestyle entrepreneurs who want to turn what they create into viable, sustainable and successful businesses. Using her 9+ years of experience in the fields of financial management, financial planning, business and strategic planning and wide scale economic development, Evelyn provides business advising, coaching and training specifically for creative entrepreneurs. She was nominated by the Washington DC Women's Business Center for her work on behalf of their clients. For her direct personal contribution to the economic development of our community, Karen Smaw, Director of Small, Women, and Minority Business Development for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority has been named Economic Development Partner of the year. Karen is responsible for attracting minority, women and veteran-owned firms to Fairfax County and developing and implementing programs and services that help those firms grow. Under her leadership FCEDA hosts monthly Entrepreneurship 101 classes to help County residents understand how to make their business dreams a reality. One of the first African-American women to serve on the Board of Directors for the Dulles Chamber of Commerce, Karen is an active participant in the economic life of Fairfax County. She currently serves on or advises several Boards of Directors including the Community Business Partnership, the University Life Advisory Board of George Mason University, and the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. SCORE Counselor Marvin "Arnie" Westphal is the DC Metro Outstanding Counseling Volunteer. Born in Iowa, Arnie Westphal started his first business at age 16 while holding down jobs as a school bus driver on weekdays and a cattle truck driver on weekends. A 33-year veteran of the Marine Corps, Arnie's diverse experience includes a long stint in banking and time spent as a professional chef. In addition to his regularly-scheduled counseling sessions, Arnie provides business instruction at area military bases for servicemembers who are interested in starting businesses when they transition to the private sector. The Washington Metro Area District Office customarily honors lenders who make the credit available to small businesses that they need to grow and create jobs, and this year, the local EagleBank office is being honored for making the single loan credited with saving or creating the most jobs. A timely SBA-backed 7(a) loan helped a small freight handling business to retain 175 employees, create 25 new jobs, and prevent 75 pre-Christmas layoffs. In addition, in recognition that small businesses often do not have on-hand cash needed to hire workers or buy materials to fulfill orders, SBA CAPLines working capital lines of credit offer small businesses an opportunity to cover short-term needs while avoiding high interest rates. SBA is honoring SonaBank for their leadership in funding the most CAPLines credit lines for area entrepreneurs. By supporting veterans in business, SBA offers some small token of appreciation for their willingness to sacrifice on behalf of all of us. It makes good economic sense to support veteran-owned businesses as well. There are nearly 22 million veterans. That's one out of every 11 adult Americans. Veterans are majority owners of 2 and a half million businesses. That's one out of every ten American companies. Veteran-owned businesses employ 6 million Americans. In the DC metro area, Foster Bank has written a higher percentage of SBA loans to veteran-owned businesses than any other lender. For their work on behalf of those who have served, Foster Bank will receive the 2012 Patriot Award. With more than $500 million in annual purchases, the US Government is the world's largest customer. When Federal agencies include qualified small contractors among their vendors the economic development potential of this business is multiplied and the government gains the innovation and creativity that only small businesses can supply. The Affordable Care Act Program Management Office of the IRS Modernization and IT Services is at the forefront of their agency when it comes to utilizing smaller companies as prime contractors when capable candidates are available. The SBA District Office is pleased to celebrate their example of successful public-private partnership with a District Director's Award. The 2012 Washington Metropolitan Area Small Business Awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Women's Memorial in Arlington on May 2. For more information, visit http://sbadcawards.com/ ###
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