(Charlotte Harbor, Fla.) – The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, the state’s principal provider of small business assistance, recently honored outstanding staff, partners, and volunteers at its Annual Performance Excellence Awards Celebration.
The awards, presented August 19 as part of the network’s Annual Professional Development Conference in Charlotte Harbor, are the network’s highest honor, recognizing staff and partners for making a lasting impact on Florida’s small business community.
“It’s a privilege to honor the incredible dedication of our staff, partners, and volunteers who tirelessly work to help small businesses across Florida,” said Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network and Florida APEX Accelerator. “These awards celebrate more than accomplishments, they recognize the dedication, expertise and passion that our team and partners bring to their work every day. Their commitment to helping entrepreneurs start, grow and succeed strengthens businesses and communities throughout our state. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the lasting difference they continue to make.”
The Florida SBDC Region of the Year Award was presented to the Florida SBDC at the University of West Florida for their high-impact consulting and speciality programs. In 2025, the region delivered 11,658 consulting hours to more than 1,258 clients. As a result, the region helped clients start 144 new businesses, access over $81.4 million in capital, and obtain more than $39 million in government contracts.
The Florida State Star of the Year Award was presented to Trecia Arrington from the Florida SBDC at Daytona State College. The Florida State Star award is the highest accolade achievable by network consultants, recognizing extraordinary performers who have made strong contributions to their state network. Arrington was selected because of her demonstrated excellence across all performance measures and consistent positive satisfaction and feedback from clients.
The Florida Allan Cowart Pioneer of the Year Award was presented to the Florida SBDC at IRSC for the region’s development of a first-of-its-kind tool. Phil Galdys, a business consultant, developed Public Records Intelligence & Matching System (PRIMS), an innovative cross-reference tool designed to help consultants identify, verify, and reconnect with clients as they reach new business milestones.
The Florida Resources Partner of the Year Award was presented to SelectFlorida for their longstanding partnership with the Florida SBDC Network and their collaborative efforts to support manufacturers and small businesses pursuing international trade opportunities, particularly through the Export Marketing Plan program.
The Florida Small Business Champion Award, presented in partnership with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, was awarded to Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly for his outstanding commitment to the small business community and his strong partnership with the Florida SBDC Network. Through his leadership and support of initiatives such as the Florida Rural Business Resource Tour, Secretary Kelly has helped expand opportunities for entrepreneurs across the state.
The Florida Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to John Carey IV from the Florida SBDC at the University of West Florida for exceeding performance goals, delivering impactful training programs, and his commitment to achieving exceptional client outcomes.
The State Office Distinguished Service Award was presented to Jessica Tenney, Florida APEX Accelerator Program Manager, for her extraordinary service and leadership of the Florida APEX Accelerator program.
The Florida Rising Star of the Year Award was presented to Randy Hayes from the Florida SBDC at the University of South Florida. This award recognizes employees with fewer than five years of service who have made a difference in their region. Hayes was recognized for his exceptional contributions to small business growth, leading the state in new business starts and capital transactions while consistently delivering strong client service and results.
The Florida Team Spirit of the Year Award was presented to Ray Juncosa from the Florida SBDC at Florida International University for demonstrating true team spirit and self-motivated leadership. Juncosa was recognized for his efforts to strengthen regional collaboration, improve quality of client services, and share best practices across the network.
The Florida APEX Pinnacle Award was presented to Scotty Wilson of the Florida APEX Accelerator at Indian River State College for his outstanding performance and commitment to helping small businesses succeed in government contracting. Wilson helped clients secure more than $67 million in government contracts in 2025.
The Florida APEX Project of the Year Award was presented to the Florida APEX Accelerator at UCF Government Contracting Assistance Project for developing a cross-training partnership between APEX and SBDC consultants that strengthened collaboration and created a more seamless experience for clients. The initiative established shared resources and coaching practices across both programs, contributing to more than $60 million in government contract awards.
The Florida Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Dennis Chan, owner of Blue Bamboo, for his longstanding commitment to supporting the Florida SBDC at UNF. Chan has served on the center’s Advisory Council and as a member of its CEO XChange program, where he provides peer coaching and fosters collaboration among entrepreneurs.
The network presented two Florida Student Project of the Year Awards, which recognize student team projects from an SBDC region that created the most significant experiential learning opportunity for the student(s) while providing SBDC client value. The undergraduate student project winner was the Florida SBDC at FGCU/Advanced Hurricane Technology, Inc. The graduate student project winner was the Florida SBDC at FAMU/Oxford Learning Academy.
Capital Access Lifetime Achievement Awardees:
- Hal Thayer, Florida SBDC at UCF - $100M +
- Marge Cirillo, Florida SBDC at UNF - $75M +
- Jill Kaufman, Florida SBDC at UCF - $75M +
- Bill Burnham, Florida SBDC at USF - $75M +
- Brad Owens, Florida SBDC at USF - $50M +
- Shelly Bernal, Florida SBDC at FIU - $50M +
- Annette Gray, Florida SBDC at FAU - $50M +
Laura Subel, Government Contracting Lifetime Achievement Awardees:
- Steve South, Florida APEX at UCF - $500M +
- Scotty Wilson, Florida APEX at IRSC - $500M +
- Luis Batista, Florida APEX at FIU - $250M +
- Frederick Ross, Florida APEX at FGCU - $50M+
- Chip Wells, Florida APEX at UWF - $50M+
- Emery Parker, Florida APEX at FAMU - $50M+
New Business Starts Lifetime Achievement Awardees:
- Bill Burnham, Florida SBDC at USF - 125 +
- Randy Hayes, Florida SBDC at USF - 125 +
- Christa Wilson, Florida SBDC at UWF - 125 +
- Kurt Forster, Florida SBDC at PCED - 75 +
- Debra Schweikowsky, Florida SBDC at PCED - 75 +
- Michael Oppenheim, Florida SBDC at UCF - 75 +
- Andrea JohnBaptiste, Florida SBDC at FAU - 75 +
Service Year Awards were also presented to employees for achieving service year milestones.
The Florida SBDC Network wishes to thank its 2026 event sponsors and partners: Florida First Capital, Florida Power and Light, Xero, Bevi, Veterans Florida, CareerSource Florida, Suncoast Credit Union, Better Business Bureau, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Jim Moran Institute, Govdash, Babcock Ranch, Babcock Ranch Chamber, Florida Economic Development Council, Florida Business Exchange, Tillman Fiber, Verizon, PodMatch, Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, Florida Trend, and WGCU.
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