The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the national program and specialty award winners for the 2025 National Small Business Week, which will take place from May 4-10. The awards recognize businesses and resource partners for their contributions in government contracting, disaster recovery, and key areas such as exporting, small business investment, and surety bonding.<\/p>\n

\u201cSBA is proud to recognize excellence across our small businesses and key resource partners,\u201d said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. \u201cAs we prepare to highlight just a few of the many success stories during National Small Business Week, we are laser-focused on our mission to empower American job creators and drive economic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Government Contracting Awards<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The SBA honored several small businesses for their achievements in federal contracting:<\/p>\n
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8(a) Graduate of the Year:<\/strong> Gina Hill, Owner\/President of G.M. Hill Engineering Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.<\/li>\n
Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year:<\/strong> Karen Renee Paschal, President and CEO of Conco Inc., Louisville, Ky.<\/li>\n
Small Business Subcontractor of the Year:<\/strong> Antonio Martinez, President and CEO of Renaissance Global Services LLC, Holmdel, N.J.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence<\/strong>, which recognize prime contractors excelling in small business utilization, were awarded to:<\/p>\n
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Construction:<\/strong> Glenn Sweatt, Vice President, Contracts and Compliance, Environmental Chemical Corporation, Burlingame, Calif.<\/li>\n
Manufacturing:<\/strong> Rondu Vincent, Executive Director, Supplier Diversity and Sustainability, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrence Township, N.J.<\/li>\n
Services:<\/strong> Lisa Tanner, Small Business Liaison Officer and Senior Manager of Supply Chain Excellence, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Aiken, S.C.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The SBA recognized resilience in disaster recovery efforts with the Phoenix Awards<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
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Small Business Award:<\/strong> Luis and Amy Fuentes Ruiz, Island Catering LLC, Lahaina, Hawaii<\/li>\n
Outstanding Contributions, Public Official:<\/strong> Mayor Jennifer Linam Hobbs, Wynne, Ark.<\/li>\n
Outstanding Contributions, Volunteer:<\/strong> Senior Pastor John Grayson, Gospel Tabernacle Church, Selma, Ala.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
SBA Resource Partner Awards<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The SBA highlighted its resource partners that provide training and support to small businesses:<\/p>\n
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SCORE Chapter of the Year:<\/strong> SCORE Greater Seattle, Seattle, Wash., led by Chapter Chair Suvendoo Ray<\/li>\n
Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award:<\/strong> Angelo State University Small Business Development Center, San Angelo, Texas, led by Director Dezaray Kathlaine Johnson<\/li>\n
Women\u2019s Business Center of Excellence Award:<\/strong> Women\u2019s Business Center of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, led by Director Anne Marie Wallace<\/li>\n
Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year:<\/strong> Veterans Business Outreach Center at University of Texas Arlington College of Business, Arlington, Texas, led by Director Patrick Alcorn<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Specialty Awards<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Exporter of the Year:<\/strong> Louis Auletta, President and CEO, and Michael Auletta, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Bauer Inc., Bristol, Conn.<\/li>\n
Small Business Investment Company of the Year \u2013 Established Manager:<\/strong> GMB Capital Partners, Minneapolis, Minn.<\/li>\n
Surety Bond Agent of the Year:<\/strong> Alicia Marasco, Vice President of Bond Operations, Capstone Risk Management Services, Las Vegas, Nev.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Upcoming Events<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The SBA will host a National Small Business Week virtual summit<\/strong>, with details on registrations and speakers available on the event\u2019s official page. Local events can be identified by searching with #SmallBusinessWeek<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
As the week approaches, additional updates on programming and activities will be shared on the SBA\u2019s official channels.<\/p>\n
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