March 24, 2011

 
The U.S. Small Business Administration's Wisconsin district office on Thursday announced annual awards to state businesses in several categories. Being honored are:
 
Financial Services Champion - Steve Burgess, president and CEO, State Bank Financial, La Crosse.
 
Small Business Exporter - Bill MacFarlane, MacFarlane Pheasants Inc., Janesville.
 
Emerging Small Business - Keith Morgan, CEO, Neurotech LLC, Elm Grove.
 
Family Owned Small Business - Greg Huffman, L. H. Holdings Inc., doing business as Legendary Whitetails, Slinger.
 
Minority Small Business Person of the Year - Manisha Dotson, president, The Nisha Group LLC, Milwaukee.
 
Women in Business Champion - Carol Dunn, State of Wisconsin Women's Certification Program.
 
Minority Small Business Champion - Aggo Akyea, director, Wisconsin Bureau of Minority Business Development.
 
Veteran Small Business Champion - Connie Clayton, disabled veterans outreach specialist, Wisconsin Department of Workforce
Development.
 
Small Business Development Center Service Excellence Award - Small Business Development Center, UW-Whitewater.
 
Women's Business Center of Excellence Award - Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corp., Milwaukee.
 
District Director's Award - Steve Cahalan, business editor, La Crosse Tribune.
 
District Director's Award - Jan Gallagher, retired director of the UW-La Crosse Small Business Development Center.
 
The category winners will be honored at a breakfast on June 3, along with Wisconsin Small Business Person of the Year Deborah Carey, president of New Glarus Brewing Co.; and honorable mention Small Business Person of the Year Raymond J. Mandli, president of Mandli Communications Inc., Madison. The Journal Sentinel incorrectly spelled Mandli's name in an article Wednesday.
The awards breakfast will be held at the Italian Conference Center in Milwaukee. For information on the event, contact Mary Trimmer at (414) 297-1093 or [log in to unmask].