Message from Mark S. Hayward

Hayward picDistrict Director U.S. Small Business Administration

The Rhode Island Salute to Small Business celebration, held this year from May 2nd through May 8th, provides the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of our small business entrepreneurs and appropriately recognize those small businesses and champions who have distinguished themselves as what I believe are the “best of the best.”

I especially want to thank the Joseph G.E. Knight SCORE Chapter for making this important celebration possible by co-sponsoring the Rhode Island Salute to Small Business. The SCORE team of small business mentors counsel hundreds of small business owners and would-be entrepreneurs each year. Their vast experience and professionalism have resulted in the creation of countless small businesses. SCORE certainly recognizes the importance of our annual salute to the state’s small business community.

These small business owners and champions will be honored at the Rhode Island Salute to Small Business Awards luncheon on Thursday, May 5th, at the Alpine Country Club in Cranston. This gathering of small business owners, entrepreneurs and their advocates represents the shared success and accomplishments achieved by these outstanding winners.

This year we will have ten honorees whose accomplishments and dedication to small business are exceptional.

“SCORE certainly recognizes the importance of our annual salute to the state’s small business community.”

I extend my congratulations to Thomas Parsons Kellogg III, President of Parsons Kellogg LLC, the 2016 Rhode Island Small Business Person of the Year. Rhode Island is also pleased to honor our regional award winner, Linda and Bill Bohmbach, Owners of Home Healthsmith, LLC in Portsmouth as both Rhode Island and New England Microenterprise of the Year. Our other winners include: Patricia Steere, President and CEO of Steere Engineering, Inc. in Warwick as the Rhode Island Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year; Henry Osorio and Maria Ochoa, the Owners of Great Shipping and Postal of Central Falls as the Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year; Eliana Parada, Owner of Las Delicias Bakery in Providence as the Young Entrepreneur of the Year; Jane McHenry, Owner of A Day at the Beach in Tiverton as Home-Based Small Business of the Year; our Financial Services Champion for 2016, Holly Ferrara, Vice President of Commercial Lending at Greenwood Credit Union in Warwick; David Levesque, Owner of Brewed Awakenings as the winner of the Joseph G.E. Knight Award and Melissa Travis, Business Sales Lead at HealthSource RI for Employers as the winner the Rhode Island District Director Award.

The stories about these outstanding honorees are truly inspiring. Please take the time to read them in this special Small Business Week issue.

I also want to acknowledge those businesses and organizations that have supported this year’s event. Without their help and dedication, this annual tribute to the small business community would not be possible.

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Avatar About the Author: The Rhode Island Small Business Journal is a printed monthly magazine and an online resource for the aspiring and start-up entrepreneur and small business owner.

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