Press release 22-34

Administrator Guzman Honors State Small Business Persons of the Year Award Winners

WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice for America’s 32.5 million small businesses in President Biden’s Cabinet, announced the 2022 Small Business Persons of the Year winners from each of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The winners will be formally recognized on May 5 during the National Small Business Week (NSBW) Virtual Summit’s Awards Ceremony, May 2-5. This year’s NSBW theme, “Building a Better America Through Entrepreneurship,” highlights the resilience, ingenuity, and creativity of these award winners who, like millions of small businesses, have navigated challenges from the pandemic and contributed to our nation’s economic comeback.

“I am delighted to recognize our National Small Business Week winners from across the country who have stepped up to build their businesses, create jobs, and power historic recovery over the past year,” Administrator Guzman said. “Entrepreneurs are innovators and creators at their core, delivering the products and services we depend on and making our neighborhoods, towns, and cities more vibrant places to live and work. They give their all to achieve their American dream of business ownership and, by doing so, advance America’s economy and global competitiveness. Our 2022 award winners represent the vibrancy and resiliency of our nation’s 32.5 million small businesses, and I look forward to celebrating these small business giants and the positive impact they have had on lives and livelihoods in communities all across America.”  

National Small Business Week will be observed May 1-7, 2022. It will celebrate our small businesses, provide critical resources and recognize SBA partners for their support in providing startups and small business owners with counseling and advice, skills development, disaster preparedness and recovery, as well as access to capital, government contracting, and market opportunities to start, grow and build resilient businesses. 

About National Small Business Week

For more than 60 years, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation announcing National Small Business Week, which recognizes the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and others from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they’re working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness.

To register for National Small Business Week and for other event information, visit www.sba.gov/NSBW.     

 Co-sponsorship Authorization# 22-1-C. The 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.

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2022 State and Territory Small Business Person(s) of the Year

Alabama

Roland G. Brown

Brown Precision Inc.

Huntsville, AL

Arizona

Tracey Latham

Latham Industries, LLC

Phoenix, AZ 

Arkansas

Jaim Krutz

Big Cuppa, LLC

Morrilton, AR

California

Hernán Luis y Prado

VetPowered, LLC

San Diego, CA

Colorado

Dr. Jen Questen

Aspen Park Vet Hospital

Confer, CO  

Connecticut

Viron Rondos

Viron Rondo Osteria

Cheshire, CT

Delaware

Lisa M. St. Clair

Tailbangers Inc.

Millsboro, DE   

District of Columbia

Eduardo F. Ortiz

Ashleigh Tara Nicole Axios

Coforma, LLC

Washington, D.C.

Florida

Dennis Chan

Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro & Bar 

Jacksonville, FL

Georgia

Ardina T. Pierre

Nature’s Own Herb Shop, Inc.

Atlanta, GA

Hawaii

Scott E. Loomer

Truss Systems Hawaii Inc.

Puunene, HI

Idaho

Marcella Medor

MarCom, LLC

Idaho Falls, ID

Illinois

Chris Ginder 

Mary Ginder

Gindo’s Spice of Life, LLC

St. Charles, IL

Indiana

Donte Lamar Wilburn

Premier Unlimited, LLC

Lafayette, IN

Iowa

Kimberly Baeth

Golden Openings, Inc.

Urbandale, Iowa  

Kansas  

Daniel J. Smoots

Janeice E. Smoots

Fanestil Meats

Emporia, KS

Kentucky

Alejandro Ramirez

Universal Spartan, LLC

Vine Grove, KY

Louisiana

Craig A. Stevens

Genesis 360 LLC

Baton Rouge, LA

Maine

Tyler A. Frank

Garbage to Garden

Portland, ME

Maryland

Tarandeep Singh Bawa

ITegrity, Inc.

Silver Spring, MD

Massachusetts

Gregory Acerra

Fireking Baking Company

Braintree, MA

Michigan

Tarolyn Buckles

Onyx Enterprises, Inc.

Detroit, MI

Minnesota

Kristen Marie Denzer

Tierra Encantada

Minneapolis, MN

Mississippi

Lesia Daniel-Hollingshead

William Walter Daniel Jr.

Funtime Afterschool of Clinton, Inc.

Clinton, MS  

Missouri

Jennifer Garrett Hart

Hartline Construction, LLC

Kansas City, MO

Montana

Natalie R. Van Dusen

Danielle J. Newell

Treeline Coffee Roasters

Bozeman, MT  

Nebraska

Taylor Korensky

Jade Jensen

Spencer Robinson

Appsky

Omaha, NE  

Nevada

Andrea Vigil

Allegiant Electric LLC

Las Vegas, NV

New Hampshire

Sara B. Nadeau

Carriage Hill Assisted Living

Madbury, NH

New Jersey

Beverly Zaccherio

Senior Solutions for the Jersey Shore LLC

Point Pleasant, NY

New Mexico

Joy Colucci

Metis Technology Solutions, Inc.

Albuquerque, NM    

 New York

Steven Olschewski

Clubhouse Fun Center

Rochester, NY

North Carolina

Kristen M. Hess, AIA

HH Architecture

1100 Dresser Court

Raleigh, NC

North Dakota

Sylvia Lunski

Design Direction Inc.

Fargo, ND

Ohio

Laura Licursi

Elite Virtual Assistants

Strongsville, OH

Oklahoma

John Adam Oglesbee

Warfeather, LLC

Coweta, OK

Oregon

Kevin and Angie Shaw

Brightways Counseling Group, LLC

Redmond, OR

Pennsylvania

John Martincic 

Forest Scientific Corporation

Tionesta, PA

Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands

Carlos Cosme Marrero

JK Logistic Transport Inc.

Toa Baja, PR   

Rhode Island

Byron Sheldon Delmonico

The Riddle Room, LLC

North Scituate, RI

South Carolina

Ann Son

Holy City Linen Services

North Charleston, SC

South Dakota  

Karla Deann Santi

Blend Interactive, Inc.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota 

Tennessee

Robert Scott Underwood 

Maxwell Industries, LLC

Athens, TN

Texas

Denise Navarro

Logical Innovations, Inc.

Houston, TX

Utah

Lucy Cardenas

Bill Coker

Red Iguana

Salt Lake City, Utah

Vermont

Vicky Allard

Joe Hanglin

Blake Hill Preserves

Windsor, VT

Virginia

Jeri Dee Prophet

Intellectechs, Inc.  

Virginia Beach, VA  

Washington

Efrem Fesaha

Boon Boona Coffee

Renton, WA

West Virginia

Jill Rae Scarbro

Bright Futures Learning Services

Winfield, WV

Wisconsin

David Heide

Liliana’s Restaurant

Fitchburg, WI

Wyoming

Lena Dirck

The Aspen House Restaurant

Rawlins, WY

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Media contacts

U.S. Small Business Administration