SBA Announces North Florida’s 2010 Small Business Person of the Year & Small Business Champions
PRESS OFFICE
Release Date: March 16, 2010 Contact: Lola Kress (904) 443-1933
Internet Address: www.sba.gov/fl/north lola.kress@sba.gov
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) North Florida District Office is pleased to announce the SBA’s 2010 North Florida Small Business Week winners.
Each year for the past 44 years, the President has issued a proclamation declaring Small Business Week as a time for America to salute the achievements and contributions of the Nation’s 25 million small businesses. The National Small Business Week Celebration will be held May 23-25, 2010 in Washington DC. The SBA North Florida District Office is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of outstanding small business owners across North Florida.
The 2010 District and State Small Business Person of the Year is Waymon Armstrong of Orlando. He is the CEO of Engineering and Computer Simulations, Inc (ECS). Mr. Armstrong has been invited to attend the Small Business Week Celebration in Washington DC in May where the National Small Business Person of the Year will be announced.
The SBA North Florida District Office is proud to honor TWO Regional Small Business Week Winners: Joanne Marie Kazmierski, Manager of Community Outreach & Environmental Advocacy for JAXPORT, has been named the Minority Small Business Champion of the Year and Helga Langthon, Vice President of SOHO Network Solution, Inc. of Jacksonville, has been named the Small Business Exporter of the Year. The Regional recognition means these individuals were selected as 2010 Small Business Week winners for the States of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
The SBA is also proud to announce District & State Financial Services Champion of the Year Winner, Christopher Hurn, CEO and Co-Founder of Mercantile Capital Corporation in Altamonte Springs.
Pegine Echevarria, CEO & President of team Pegine of Ponte Vedra Beach, has been named the 2010 Women in Business Champion of the Year for the North Florida District and the State of Florida.
Rear Admiral Kevin F. Delaney, President & CEO of Delaney & Associates Consulting of Jacksonville, FL, has been named the 2010 Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year for the North Florida District and the State of Florida.
The 2010 Small Business Week Award Winners from the Jacksonville area (and top North Florida SBA lenders) will be recognized at the 18th Annual Small Business Week & Lender Awards Celebration on May 13th, 2010 in Jacksonville at the University of North Florida’s University Center from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. This event is hosted by the Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida. For more information on this award ceremony, please visit www.sbdc.unf.edu.
The Orlando area Small Business Week winners will be honored by an event hosted by the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida. For more information, please contact the SBDC at (407) 420-4850.
Small Business Week events will occur across the North Florida District. For award criteria or other program information, please call Lola Kress, (904) 443-1933, or e-mail lola.kress@sba.gov. Visit the agency Website at www.sba.gov/fl/north.
