Recent Maricopa Community Colleges SBDC and Client Awards
The Maricopa Community Colleges Small Business Development Center (Maricopa SBDC) has been named the 2015 Small Business Development Center of Excellence and Innovation for Arizona and U.S. Small Business Administration Region IX. This honor is bestowed upon an SBDC Service Center that surpasses performance milestones, builds small business excellence, embraces continuous improvement and champions economic development through small business within their region.
Along with the Maricopa SBDC Service Center two clients were also recognized for their outstanding efforts as part of the Tuesday, May 19, Enterprise Business Awards Luncheon showcasing the annual awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Sharon Hamilton, President of Sentinel Fence and Contracting was honored as the 2015 Woman-Owned Small Business Champion of the Year. In addition, Lisa Odle, President of Odle Management Group was presented the 2015 Minority-Owned Small Business Champion of the Year.
Similar distinctions were bestowed by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce with the 2015 Impact Awards on May 13. Pinnacle Transplant Technologies, another Maricopa SBDC client, received the 2015 IMPACT Business of the Year and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. Pinnacle Transplant Technologies is a wonderful example of business success created by combining the expert business counseling and training from the Maricopa SBDC with assistance provided by the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation (CEI) on the GateWay Community College campus. Together the SBDC and CEI helped Pinnacle Transplant Technologies grow and prosper. During a recent Arizona Association for Economic Development conference panel discussion, Russ Yelton, CEO of Pinnacle Transplant Technologies acknowledged the valuable assistance his company received from the SBDC.
These client recognitions together with the SBA Center of Excellence and Innovation Award serve to highlight the exemplary service to small businesses provided by the Maricopa SBDC.
Donna Davis, SBA Region IX Administrator; Nancy Sanders, Maricopa Community Colleges SBDC Director; Robert Blaney, SBA District IX Director and Program Officer