Chamber Hosts Business Awards
(May 26, 2011)— On May 25, 2011, the Jefferson Chamber recognized several outstanding individuals and businesses who have recently received awards from national, state and local organizations.
Chamber Member businesses swept all of the award categories in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Southeast region. Eight were named SBA State Champions and Haydel’s Bakery went on to win the SBA’s National Family-Owned Business of the Year.
Among other national award winners is Naked Pizza. Naked Pizza won the United States Chamber of Commerce Community Excellence Award. They were the recipients of the 2011 Dream Big Small Business of the Year Blue Ribbon. All Blue Ribbon Award winners were eligible for the Community Excellence award but only one is selected for their commitment to the community. They were presented with the award by U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue, during America’s Small Business Summit last week.
Stephen Joseph Cabal with the Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services was awarded the Joseph Yenni Award. The Joseph Yenni Award is given to the most outstanding Jefferson Parish Employee of the year. Cabal has spent over 51 years serving the community. In 1980, Cabal began his 31-year career with the Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services. Cabal has been known for being a leader in his field, always embracing the need for improvement and review. This year, Cabal won the prestigious Don E. Wydra Memorial Award for Extraordinary Contribution to Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
The 2011 Louisiana Small Business Regional Winner is Dr. Gerald Cvitanovich with East Jefferson After Hours Urgent Care and Millennium Healthcare. Dr. Cvitanovich was nominated as the Small Business Person of the Year for his achievements in emergency medicine and the success of opening the first urgent care clinics in Jefferson Parish. The clinics became the first free standing urgent care centers in the country to be accredited by the Joint Commission. In 2009, Dr. Cvitanovich was awarded the Charlet Business Award by the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission.
The 2011 SBA Champion Award Winners are:
National Family-Owned Business of the Year – David L. Haydel Sr., David L. Haydel Jr., Ryan Haydel, Cherie Haydel Casteix and Dottie Haydel of Haydel’s Bakery.
Small Business Exporter of the Year – Sun Kim, Crown Products, Inc.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Benardett Kristy Jno-Finn, Sénica, LLC.
Financial Services Champion of the Year – Mignhon Tourné, ASI Federal Credit Union.
Home-Based Business Champion of the Year – Eric Vincent Miller, MillerFoto of Kenner, LLC.
Minority Business Champion of the Year – Cyndi Nguyen, Vietnamese Initiatives in Economic Training (VIET).
Veteran Business Champion of the Year – Bob Hartman, Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Women in Business Champion of the Year – Melinda L. Bourgeois, Travel Central.
The Louisiana Small Business Regional Winner and all of the SBA Champions were honored at a reception at the Governor’s Mansion on May 24. The National Family-Owned Business of the Year was invited to Washington D.C. during Small Business Week 2011 to receive their award.
The Chamber would like to thank all of those who sponsored the 2011 SBA Awards Luncheon:
Presenting Sponsor, First NBC Bank; AT&T, British Petroleum, Entergy Louisiana, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Travel Central, Universal Data Inc., Kori’s Floral Boutique.
The Chamber is proud to support the small businesses in our community. Founded in 1997, the Chamber’s mission has remained constant – to work for the advancement of the business community; to enhance the economic, civic and cultural environment; and to improve the quality of life in our community. Chamber Membership means business!
###
