SBA Names Minority Business Award Recipients, Unveils New 8(a) Application

WASHINGTON – The SBA recently recognized the achievements of two women-owned and minority-owned businesses during National Minority Enterprise Development Week recently held here. Belinda A. Davis, president of Belton, Mo.-based DGR Associates was named the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA. Davis’ company’s services include maintenance of more than 11,000 military family housing units, roof repair, plumbing, painting and snow removal. Clarisa F. Howard, president of Torrance, Calif.-based bd Systems, received the National 8(a) Graduate of the Year award. Howard’s broad-based high-tech company provides technical services, management information systems and application software for the government and the private sector. Tracey Pinson, director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for the Office of the Secretary of the Army was also honored with the SBA Administrator’s Leadership Award. The SBA also unveiled its new 8(a) Business Development and Small Disadvantaged Business application, which will allow small businesses to apply for 8(a) Business Development and Small Disadvantaged Business certification directly from the SBA’s Web site, substantially reducing the time and cost burdens imposed on small businesses applying for certification, said SBA Administrator Hector Barreto. In its 22nd year, activities during National Minority Enterprise Development Week also included workshops, seminars, award ceremonies, a business expo and a Meet Your White House breakfast session with senior Bush Administration officials. Held during the week of Sept. 7, the session also included an award ceremony and gala with Kwame Jackson, first-runner up in NBC’s “The Apprentice” reality show, who was honored with an entrepreneurship award for his achievements during the competition for the coveted executive position of one of Donald Trump’s successful companies. Minority businesses account for 15% of America’s small businesses and employ more than 4.5 million people to help fuel the nation’s economy, Barreto said.