LSBDC at Southeastern wins Regional Excellence & Innovation Award
Contact: Rene Abadie
Date: May 16, 2012
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SOUTHEASTERN SBDC HONORED – The Southeastern Louisiana University Small Business Development Center was recognized with the SBDC Excellence and Innovation Award. Serving on the Southeastern team are, from left, Ginger Cangelosi, business continuity consultant; Scott Uffman, sales consultant; Director William Joubert; Wayne Ricks, senior business consultant; Steven Baham, business consultant; and Assistant Director Sandy Summers.
HAMMOND – The Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana University was recognized as the top center in a five-state region Louisiana at an awards reception held at the Governor's Mansion May 15.
The SBDC Excellence and Innovation Award is given annually to the program that demonstrates excellence in improving value to small businesses and advancing program delivery and management through innovation.
After being named the top center of the year out of 10 centers in the state, the Southeastern SBDC was nominated for the SBA Region VI Award. Region VI covers Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The achievement ranks the Southeastern center among the top 10 SBDCs in the nation for 2012.
"This is a well-deserved recognition of the entire team and exceptional work with small businesses and entrepreneurs in southeast Louisiana," said LSBDC State Director Mary Lynn Wilkerson.
She said the center's productivity, professionalism and dedication to entrepreneurship have been noted by the community, clients, resources partners, media and many others who have worked with the Southeastern group.
It is the second time the center received the top state award and its first regional award.
Southeastern President John L. Crain said the university is proud of the center's recognition.
"The Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern has a long history of providing vital consulting services to individuals and organizations planning business start-ups or expansions," said Crain.
"The Northshore area is the fastest growing region in the state, and the SBDC, along with the services provided through the university's Southeast Louisiana Business Center, has created an environment that facilitates fast service to clients," he added. "The efforts of this team, with strong university support, have resulted in a model of private-university-public partnership that is proving to be highly successful in helping develop the economic potential of the region."
"We hired some great people and they have done great work," said Southeastern SBDC Director William Joubert. "This award is about our entire staff, the university and the LSBDC State Office all working together to better serve the business community and other Small Business Development Centers."
In addition to Joubert, other staff members recognized at the award ceremony were Assistant Director Sandy Summers and consultants Wayne Ricks, Steven Baham, Ginger Cangelosi and Scott Uffman.
The SBDC at Southeastern has been at the helm of economic development on the North Shore for more than 10 years. In 2001, Joubert proposed the university adopt an innovative plan to create a one-stop shop for regional economic development, with the SBDC as the linchpin. That vision became a reality in 2003 with the opening of the Southeast Louisiana Business Center. Located in its own building near the campus, the center houses the SBDC, a business incubator, the Business Research Center and various economic development organizations.
The center – which serves the five-parish region of Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes – has assembled a team of high quality business consultants and assembled an deep network of resources. Since 2008, the center has served more than 1,760 clients and trained more than 4,200 individuals. The team helped clients create 2,027 jobs and save 612, secure more than $217 million in capital, start 108 new businesses and increase sales by $100 million.
