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Small Business Assistance Program Awards
The National Steering Committee (NSC), representing the Small Business Assistance Programs nationwide, in conjunction with the National Compliance Advisory Panel (NCAP), has established the Small Business Assistance Program Awards to recognize the leadership, service, and achievements by the programs and the individuals representing them. The NSC Awards Subcommittee is seeking nominations for the 2005 awards. More than one award may be given.
These awards will recognize exemplary performance in one or more areas where individuals and programs have contributed their time, created resources and work products, promoted policy advancements, developed program innovations, and established new partnerships to build a strong network of small business assistance. The awards will recognize exemplary performance in one or more of the following areas: Small Business Ombudsman/Small Business Assistance Program (SBO/SBAP) leadership, individual leadership, and state program leadership. The winner(s) will be invited to attend a luncheon at the annual SBO/SBAP National Conference in Biloxi, Mississippi, on June 13, 2005, where the awards will be presented.
Anyone may nominate an agency or individual representing the SBO/SBAP by submitting a completed form on line (click on button below instructions). Nomination guidelines can be found below.
Eligibility Requirements
SBO/SBAP nominees must:
· be part of a state SBO/SBAP
· have contributed significantly to the leadership, service, and achievements of the program
· have developed effective methods or tools to assist small businesses in complying with environmental laws and regulations.
Recipients for the previous year’s awards are not eligible for nomination. Receipt of all nominations will be acknowledged with a confirmation email.
How to Make Nominations
Individuals, businesses, NSC representatives or subcommittee chairs, and SBO/SBAP members are encouraged to nominate agencies or individuals representing the SBOs/SBAPs. Please complete the nomination form and submit on line, if possible, including electronic submittal of supporting documents. If online submittal is not possible, please contact Rose Marie Wilmoth or Linda Hayes-Gorman for hard copy submittal instructions. Contact information is listed below.
Each nomination form must be accompanied by an activity summary of 500 words or less. The summary should describe the nominee’s leadership, service, and achievement or accomplishment and results. Nominators should identify the appropriate award category for the program or individual and submit only one form. The award categories are: SBO/SBAP leadership, individual leadership, and state program leadership. These are described below. The Awards Subcommittee reserves the right to assign a nomination to a different category as appropriate. The nominator should address the following points, where applicable, in the body of the summary:
· Describe the leadership abilities of the program or individual nominated. Describe how these leadership abilities have advanced the goals of the SBO/SBAP.
· Has the program or individual served as a role model for their peers? Explain.
· Describe involvement of the individual or program with the Steering Committee and/or state program activities that support the goals of the SBOs/SBAPs.
· Describe the committees, meetings, and other activities that the individual or program has been involved in and how they have advanced the goals of the SBOs/SBAPs.
· What activities or products has the individual or state program developed to assist small businesses that has been made available or shared with other programs? What were the timeframes: one-time event, periodic, ongoing? Please describe.
· Did the activities have environmental compliance benefits? If so, to whom?
· Were the results of the activities or products environmentally or economically quantifiable?
· What were the levels of participation in the activities?
· Were the activities innovative?
· Were the activities or products duplicated (or can they be) by other programs? Explain.
· Were the results of the activities or products environmentally or economically quantifiable?
· Overall, explain how the activities conducted or participated in and/or the products developed contributed to the work and goals of the SBOs/SBAPs.
The nominator is encouraged to enclose up to ten pages of supporting material including the activity summary. Additional materials such as program literature, news clippings, data, slides, letters of support, and photos may be submitted. These should be submitted electronically with the online nomination form, if possible.
Award Categories
The Small Business Assistance Awards will be given annually to SBOs/SBAPs who exhibit environmental leadership in one or more of the following categories:
SBO/SBAP Leadership
The SBO/SBAP Leadership Award is presented to an individual or program that has shown exceptional performance in a leadership capacity within the SBO/SBAP network and NSC. This award honors a SBO/SBAP member or program that has demonstrated leadership in achieving the goals of the SBAP. Qualifications include:
· membership in the SBAP and active participation in the NSC and/or subcommittees
· demonstration of exceptional leadership abilities
· successful application of leadership abilities to advance the goals of the program.
Individual Leadership
The Individual Leadership Award is given to recognize the leadership skills and unique contributions that a person has brought to a state program. These contributions may include organizational and motivational skills as well as products. This award will be given to a person who:· has made contributions that have significantly increased the success of a state program in achieving its goals to assist small businesses with environmental compliance
· has shown leadership through innovation in outreach, delivery of services, and/or creation of compliance tools
· has shown leadership in building in-state partnerships, multi-state partnerships, or been an effective representative of a region or an organizer within a region.
State Program Leadership
The State Leadership Award is given to a state program that has made exceptional contributions to work products, outreach, supporting services, building partnerships, or program research. Exceptional contributions may include:· unique contributions to the work of the state SBO/SBAP
· major contributions to the execution of workshops, summits, or other SBO/SBAP-sponsored activities
· significant contributions in promoting and increasing the awareness of the SBOs/SBAPs.
Judging
A committee of representatives from the NSC for the SBAPs, and the NCAP will review all nominations and select a winner(s). The Awards Subcommittee will select nominees principally based on the following areas: leadership capacity within the NSC SBO/SBAP network, individual leadership within a state program, and state program leadership.
Depending on the number, range, and quality of applications, several or no awards may be presented. Members of the Awards Subcommittee will not participate in evaluating nominations from their state of residence.
Additional Information
The NSC has approximately ten members, each representing the SBAPs of their states in respective U.S. EPA regions. The NCAP has approximately nine members and represents the states' small business compliance advisory panels (CAPs). The CAPs represent small business interests from their region.
Information about the SBAPs is available on the Small Business Environmental Home Page (Home Page) at: http://www.smallbiz-enviroweb.org. The Home Page is maintained by Audrey G. Zelanko, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, representative for the SBAPs pursuant to funding by the U.S. EPA, Small Business Ombudsman, Small Business Division.
Other Award Programs
The Small Business Assistance Program Awards are not designed to compete with or supersede other private and public environmental achievement awards.
Contact Information
Rose Marie Wilmoth
Chairman, Awards Subcommittee
Division of Compliance Assistance
KY Dept. for Environmental Protection
14 Reilly Road, Bldg. #6
Frankfort, KY 40601
Email: rosemarie.wilmoth@ky.gov
Phone: (502) 564-2150, x128Linda Hayes-Gorman
Awards Subcommittee
Air Quality Business Assistance Program
OR Dept. of Environmental Quality
2146 NE 4th Street
Bend, OR 97701
Email: hayes-gorman.linda@deq.state.or.us
Phone: (541) 388-6146, x274
