Navy and Air Force Veterans Win SBA Honors for 2017

An Air Force veteran who founded a medical logistics company in a cramped rental unit and a U.S. Navy veteran who seeks out contracts to benefit other servicemen and women are just two of this year’s Small Business Person of the Year winners as chosen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Lars Herman, CEO of Herman Construction Group, Inc., was recently selected as the recipient of California’s Small Business Person of the Year Award. His construction company is based out of Escondido and has been in business since 2009, serving private companies and  Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. Herman, a U.S. Navy veteran, often pursues contracts like those renovating Department of Veterans Affairs’ hospitals so he can give back to other veterans.

This year’s winner from Georgia is another veteran who has transitioned the values and skills learned in the military into a successful career as an entrepreneur. Kevin Boykin is the CEO of Path-Tec LLC in Midland, Georgia.  Currently, his medical logistics company specializing  in packaging, transporting and tracking laboratory specimens owns a 130,000 square-foot facility with over 150 employees. However, Boykin started   the firm in 2005 from a rental storage unit.

All of the winners listed below have been invited to Washington, D.C., on April 30 and May 1 where they will be honored and the 2017 National Small Business Person of the Year, along with three runners up, will be chosen. They come from all of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Coinciding with the event is The National Small Business Week, which has run since 1963 by presidential proclamation on the first week in May.

2017 Small Business Person of the Year Winners

Alabama

Jodie Ray Stanfield, Owner, Local Joe’s Trading Post, Rainbow City, AL

Alaska

David McCarthy, CEO; Jason Motyka, CFO, Denali Visions 3000, Denali Park, AK

Arizona

Vickie Herd, Manager, Extended Family Disability Services, LLC/Bella Rose, Chandler, AZ

Arkansas

Victoria A. Washington, President, Vision Information Technology Consultants LLC, Little Rock, AR

California

Lars Christopher Herman, President, Herman Construction Group, Inc., Escondido, CA

Colorado

Lorena P. Cantarovici, Owner, Maria Empanada, Denver, CO

Connecticut

Carla Bartolucci, President, Euro-USA Trading Co., Inc., North Stonington, CT

Delaware

Donna L. Vanderwende, Owner, Vanderwende Farm Creamery, Bridgeville, DE

District of Columbia

Robert W. Dozier Jr., President & CEO, RWD Consulting, LLC, Washington, DC

Florida

Paul Morrow, President, South Dave Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Homestead, FL

Georgia

Kevin B. Boykin, CEO, Path-Tec, LLC, Midland, GA

Guam

Derrick Muna Quinata, CEO/Dealer Principal, Guam Autospot, Hagatna, Guam

Hawaii

Garrett Marrero, President & CEO; Melanie Oxley, Vice President & COO, Maui Brewing Company, Kihei, HI

Idaho

Eric L. Browning, CEO, Owner and Manager; Steven J. Browning, CFO, Co-Owner, Fin Fun, Idaho Falls, ID

Illinois

Sonat Birnecker Hart, President; Robert Birnecker, CEO, Koval Distillery, Inc., Chicago, IL

Indiana

Joey Rivera, Ph.D., President & CEO, Rivera Consulting Group, Sellersburg, IN

Iowa

Benny Duane Puck, President, Puck Custom Enterprises, Inc., Manning, IA

Kansas

Ken Bellesine, Owner, Central Electropolishing Co., Inc., Anthony, KS

Kentucky

Debra Dudley, President, Oscarware, Inc., Bonnieville, KY

Louisiana

Alejandro (Alex) Hernandez, President, Hernandez Consulting & Construction, New Orleans, LA

Maine

Leigh S. Kellis, Founder/Owner, The Holy Donut, Portland, ME

Maryland

Kara DiPietro, CEO, HMC Incorporated, Columbia, MD

Massachusetts

Victoria Bondoc, President & CEO, Gemini Industries, Inc., Burlington, MA

Michigan

Jon Lanning, President, Finance, Inontime, LLC, Zeeland, MI

Minnesota

Shirley Joann Wikner, CEO, Aviation Charter and Executive Aviation, Eden Prairie, MN

Mississippi

Mary J. Russell, President and Founder, Sugaree’s Bakery, New Albany, MS

Missouri

Phillip Cohen, Founder and President, Cohen Architectural Woodworking, St. James, MO

Montana

Mark Bretz, CEO and Chairman, Bretz RV and Marine, Missoula, MT

Nebraska

Cody C. Brooks, Owner; Chrystal Brooks, Co-Owner, White River Feed, LLC, Chadron, NE

Nevada

Dr. Eva D. Littman, Owner, Red Rock Fertility, Sunset Surgery Center, LLC, Las Vegas, NV

New Hampshire

Jake Reder, CEO, Celdara Medical, LLC, Lebanon, NH

New Jersey

Dr. Lisa Aumiller, HousePaws Mobile Veterinary Service, Mt. Laurel, NJ

New Mexico

Mario Burgos, President & CEO; David Burgos, Vice President, Burgos Group LLC, Albuquerque, NM

New York

Pamela Newman, CEO, ISS Action, Queens, NY

North Carolina

Michelle Coffino, Owner, Queen City Metal Recycling & Salvage, LLC, Charlotte, NC

North Dakota

Eric Mauch, CEO, Razor Consulting Solutions, Inc. & Razor Tracking, Inc., Watford City, ND

Ohio

Robert Chapman Kocian, President, The Auto Bolt Company, Cleveland, OH

Oklahoma

Melinda Stinnett, Managing Director, Stinnett & Associates, Tulsa, OK

Oregon

Brandon James Vaughn, President, All-Clean Property Maintenance LLC, Troutdale, OR

Pennsylvania

Elvin Eugene Stoltzfus, President, Pik Rite, Inc., Lewisburg, PA

Puerto Rico

Victor Miguel Rivera Solanas, President; Maria Paula Rivera Solanas, Vice President, Atencion Atencion, San Juan, PR

Rhode Island

Gary M. Palardy, President and CEO, Blue Moon Industries, Providence, RI

South Carolina

Vickie Wyatt, President, J.I.T. Manufacturing, Cowpens, SC

South Dakota

Beth Hanna, Owner/Director, Building Blocks Childcare and Learning Center, LLC, Brandon, SD

Tennessee

Dan LeVan, CEO, EnerG3, Chattanooga, TN

Texas

Deborah Paris, President and Manager, StraCon Services Group, LLC, Fort Worth, TX

Utah

Stefanie Bevans, CEO; Joshua Bevans, CTO, Design To Print, Inc., St. George, UT

Vermont

Michael Lawrence Rainville, President, Maple Landmark, Inc., Middlebury, VT

Virgnia

Corliss Udoema, President & CEO, Contract Solutions, Inc., Manassas, VA

U.S. Virgin Islands

Kevin Joseph Schnell, Owner/Operator; Maya Alissa Matthews-Sterling, Owner/Manager, Caribbean Solar Company LLC, St. John, VI

Washington

Rozanne Garman, President, RHD Enterprises, Inc., Lacey, WA

West Virginia

Matthew Paul Knott, President & CEO, River Riders, Inc. and Clarion Inn Harpers Ferry, Harpers Ferry, WV

Wisconsin

Kristina Pence-Dunow, President & CEO, Hometown Trolley, Inc., Crandon, WI

Wyoming

Janie Celeste Wait, President, Intermountain Record Center, Inc., Casper, WY

Image: Small Business Administration

This article, "Navy and Air Force Veterans Win SBA Honors for 2017" was first published on Small Business Trends