(Updated 5.2.2015 to include winners and runners-up) As part of the annual Small Business Week, on Monday, May 2, 2016, the SBA’s National Small Business Persons of the Year were announced.

California’s Equator Coffees & Teas Owners named National Small Business Persons of the Year

Winner | Business partners Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russel, owners of Equator Coffees & Teas, headquartered in San Rafael, California, were named 2016 SBA National Small Business Persons of the Year.

First Runner-up | Angela O’Byrne, president, Perez, APC, New Orleans, Louisiana

Second Runner-up | Raymond Jardine Jr., Chairman, CEO, Native Hawaiian Veterans, LLC., Honolulu, Hawaii

Third Runner-up | David Dafoe, founder and chief operations officer, Flavorman and Distilled Spirts Epicenter, Louisville, Kentucky

See also on SmallBusiness.com | Guide to Small Business Week | 2016

54 State and Territory Small Business Persons of the Year

The national small business person of the year was selected from among these state and territorial winners.

STATE,OWNER(S),OWNER(S),BUSINESS
ALABAMA,”Xiomara Hernandez Bracken, Owner”,,Bouncing Parties Inc.
ALASKA,”Connie Core-Dubay, CEO/Owner”,,Cold Spot Feeds Inc.
ARIZONA,”Paul A. Smiley, President”,,Sonoran Technology and Professional Services LLC
ARKANSAS,”Regina Renee Radke, CEO”,”Wade Stuart Radke, COO”,Galley Support Innovations
CALIFORNIA,”Helen Margaret Russell, Co-Founder/CEO”,”Brooke Jean McDonnell, Co-Founder/President”,Equator Coffees and Teas Inc.
COLORADO,”Reed Howard Silberman, Founder/CEO”,,Ink Monstr
CONNECTICUT,”Peter Newman, CEO”,Victoria Newman. Executive Director,Greenwich Education Group
DELAWARE,”Chris J. Bisaha, Co-Owner”,”Joseph A. Baker, Co-Owner”,Henlopen City Oyster House
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,”Robert C. Palmer, CEO”,,Creative Business Solutions Inc.
FLORIDA,”Sherry L. Acanfora-Ruohomaki, Owner/President”,,K9 Kampus LLC
GEORGIA,”Catherine A. Downey, CEO”,,CATMEDIA
GUAM,”David J. John, President”,,ASC Trust Corporation
HAWAII,”Raymond Jardine Jr., Chairman / CEO”,,”Native Hawaiian Veterans, LLC”
IDAHO,”Enrique F. Contreras, Owner”,”Ana M. Paz, Owner”,Conpaz Inc. dba Enrique’s Mexican Restaurant
ILLINOIS,”Dwayne Steven Jackson, President / CEO”,,”Software Tech Enterprises, Inc.”
INDIANA,”Baziel W. Vrient, President”,”Albert W. Vrient, Operations Manager”,Agdia
IOWA,”Anthony D. Halsted, Owner”,,Hoover’s Hatchery Co.
KANSAS,”Roger Lee Ward III, Owner”,”Dana Marie Ward, Owner”,Great Day Moving (Marathon Moving & Delivery LLC)
KENTUCKY,”David Allen Dafoe, Founder / CEO”,,8th St Ventures dba Flavorman Distilled Spirits | Epicenter
LOUISIANA,”Angela O’Byrne, President/Owner”,,”Perez, APC”
MAINE,”Margo Walsh, Owner”,,Maine Works LLC
MARYLAND,”Patrick Babasola Munis, CEO”,,NewWave Telecom & Technologies
MASSACHUSETTS,”Robert Jacob George, Founder”,,StratComm Inc.
MICHIGAN,”Russell Beaver, President”,,RB Construction Company
MINNESOTA,”Gloria Jean Freeman, CEO”,,Olu’s Home/Olu’s Center
MISSISSIPPI,”Mike Pornovets, Owner”,,Everything Kayak LLC
MISSOURI,”David Laurence Bailey, Founder / President”,,Baileys’ Restaurants
MONTANA,”Greg Thayer, CEO”,”Eugene Thayer, Director”,Montana Merchandising Inc dba Montana Milling Inc.
NEBRASKA,”Yolanda F. Diaz, Member / Owner”,,Little Miss Fashion LLC
NEVADA,”Bradley J. Burdsall, Owner / Operator”,,The Egg Works
NEW HAMPSHIRE,”Elie El-Chalfoun, Owner / Operator”,,Mega-X
NEW JERSEY,”Charles Olivo, Founder / Principal”,,Stonefield Engineering and Design LLC
NEW MEXICO,”Karl S. Halpert, President / CEO”,,Private Label Select Ltd. Co.
NEW YORK,”Tammy Ann Loewy, Owner”,”Wynde Kate Reese, Owner”,Green Goddess Foods LLC
NORTH CAROLINA,”Charles Ashton Creech, President”,”Thomas Howard Chappell, Vice President – Maintenance”,Plus Team NS Aviation LLC dba North State Aviation
NORTH DAKOTA,”Jon Simmers, CEO”,,Bismarck Aero Center
OHIO,”Sally Hughes, CEO”,,Caster Connection
OKLAHOMA,”Ellis “Lanny” McIntosh, Founding Principal CEO”,,The McIntosh Group
OREGON,”Jeremie Murfin, Geoff Metts, Johnpaul Simonet Owners / Members”,,5.S.G. LLC dba Five Star Guitars
PENNSYLVANIA,”Dr. Wei-Shin Lai, CEO”,,AcousticSheep LLC
PUERTO RICO,”Fernando J. Rodriguez, President”,,Prime Janitorial Service Corp.
RHODE ISLAND,”Thomas Parsons Kellogg III, President”,,Parsons Kellogg LLC
SOUTH CAROLINA,”JoAnne LaBounty, President”,,Spartanburg Meat Processing Inc.
SOUTH DAKOTA,”Janet R. Eining, Owner”,,Cellular Only Connection Inc.
TENNESSEE,”Terence Andrew Douglas, President”,,Alliant Corporation
TEXAS,”Yolanda Arriola, President and CEO”,,Southwest University at El Paso
UTAH,”Jay Benjamin Broadbent, President”,,Alpine Home Medical Equipment LLC
VERMONT,”Thomas M.L. Stearns, President”,,High Mowing Organic Seeds
VIRGIN ISLANDS,”Brianne B. Beatty, Owner”,”Ryan B. Skinner, Owner”,Flagship
VIRGINIA,”Caroline Anne Taylor, RN-President”,,Taylor Made Diagnostics Inc.
WASHINGTON,”James “Kiwi” Ferris, President”,,Edensaw Woods
WEST VIRGINIA,”Arria Hines, President & CEO”,,Allegheny Science & Technology Corp.
WISCONSIN,”Mark Matthiae, CEO”,,Crystal Finishing Systems Inc.
WYOMING,”Anthony Andrew Aguiree, President”,,Triple A Building Services

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