2018 -- S 2878

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LC005448

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CELEBRATING THE WEEK OF APRIL 29 THROUGH MAY 4, 2018, AS “NATIONAL

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK” AND PROCLAIMING THE WEEK OF MAY 7 THROUGH

MAY 11, 2018 TO BE “RHODE ISLAND SMALL BUSINESS WEEK” IN THE STATE OF

RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senators Lombardo, Sosnowski, Ruggerio, Raptakis, and Metts

     Date Introduced: May 08, 2018

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

     WHEREAS, Every year the State of Rhode Island sets aside time to honor small business

owners and their employees and to thank them for helping to ensure that the United States

remains the world's economic leader and for their contributions to the economic growth and

vitality of our State; and

     WHEREAS, Small businesses are responsible for the creation of close to two-thirds of all

new jobs in America and employ more than half of all Americans. In Rhode Island, as of 2014,

small businesses employed 225,671 people equaling 53.5 percent of the private workforce.

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees have the biggest share of small business employment;

and

     WHEREAS, The creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit exhibited on a daily basis

by hard-working small business owners and employees form the backbone of our nation and are

the lifeblood of the cities and towns across America and within Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Each year, the United States Small Business Administration hands out

various "Small Business Week Awards" to outstanding small business leaders in every state and

region in the nation. This year, during the week of May 7 through May 11, the Rhode Island State

Senate will be honoring the United States Small Business Administration Rhode Island honorees.

The distinguished 2018 recipients are: Ms. Kelly B. Mendell, President of MIKEL, Inc., Small

Business Person of the Year, Charles Dewey, CEO, Evans Capacitor Company, National

Subcontractor of the Year, Carol Dancer, President, Absorbent Specialty Products, LLC., New

England Woman-Owned Small Business Person of the Year, John Lindsey Shepard, CEO,

Veteran Assembled electronics (VAe), New England Veteran-Owned Small Business Person of

the Year, Buck Harris, Vice President, Community Investment Corporation, New England

Financial Services Champion of the Year, Michael Sigourney, CEO & Founder, Anne Beaupre

Sigourney, CFO, and Rick Grundy, President, AVTECH Software, Inc., Small Business

Exporters of the Year, Donald J. Boyle, President, Jade Manufacturing Company, Inc., Small

Business Manufacturer of the Year, Nancy Hatch Warner, Owner, The Worm Ladies of

Charlestown, Inc., Microenterprise of the Year, Alba Lucia Rios Puerto, Owner, Spanish

Wholesale Center, Minority-Owned Small Business Person of the Year, Johnny Luo, M.D.,

President, Doctor's Choice, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Lisa M. Sienkiewicz, Co-Owner,

and Gail Parella, Co-Owner, Gil's Appliances, Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business of

the Year, Kim M. Coulter, Partner, William A. Coulter, Partner, Nina L. Luchka, Partner, Joshua

A. Coulter, Partner, Stony Hill Cattle Company, LLC, Home-Based Small Business of the Year,

Cheryl Watkins Snead, Posthumously, Founder, President and CEO, Banneker Industries, Inc.,

Rhode Island District Director Award, and Christine Francis, Owner, Carmen & Ginger, Joseph

G.E. Knight Award For Entrepreneurial Excellence; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby celebrates the week of April 29 through May 4, 2018, as "National Small Business Week"

and proclaims the week of May 7 through May 11, 2018, to be "Rhode Island Small Business

Week" in the State of Rhode Island; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Mark S. Hayward, District Director, Rhode

Island District Office, United States Small Business Administration.

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