2019 -- S 0860

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CELEBRATING THE WEEK OF MAY 5TH THROUGH 11TH , 2019, AS "NATIONAL

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK" AND PROCLAIMING THE WEEK OF MAY 6TH THROUGH

MAY 10TH, 2019, TO BE "RHODE ISLAND SMALL BUSINESS WEEK" IN THE STATE

OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senators Picard, Cano, Ruggerio, Paolino, and de la Cruz

     Date Introduced: May 08, 2019

     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 2015,

small businesses employed 224,254 people equaling 52.7 percent of the private workforce.

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees have the largest 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 6 through May 10, the Rhode Island State

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

and

     WHEREAS, The distinguished 2019 recipients are: Small Business Persons of the Year

Award, Justin Oakley and Michael Vieira, Owners of Oakley Home Access; Rhode Island & New

England Small Business Manufacturer Award, Sennen G. Conte, Owner/CFO, Gerbs Allergen

Friendly Foods; Rhode Island & New England Veteran-Owned Small Business Award,

Christopher Sanford, Owner of PuroClean Disaster Restoration Services; Rhode Island & New

England Woman-Owned Small Business Award, Susan Pascale-Frechette, Owner and Director of

PODS Swimming, Inc.; Rhode Island & New England Young Entrepreneur Award, Bryan Gibb

Co-Owner of Bolt Coffee; Small Business Exporter Award, Naresh Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO,

Aman Mehta, Co-Founder, and Christopher Mainiero, Partner of Grow Materials, LLC; Financial

Services Champion Award, Pamela LaBreche, AVP, Relationship Manager of Navigant Credit

Union; Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Small Business Award, Gwendolyn Graham, President,

Roger Graham, Vice President of Miller's Roast Beef; Microenterprise Award, Matthew Banoub,

Owner of Alten Energy Conservation LLC; Minority-Owned Small Business Award, Lei Nichols,

CEO of Wise Mouth Inc.; Rhode Island District Director Award, Posthumously, Raymond

Fogarty, Director, The John H. Chaffee Center for International Business, Bryant University; and

the Joseph G.E. Knight Award For Entrepreneurial Excellence, Kristi Langslet, CEO of

Sommerfly LLC; now, therefore be it

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

hereby celebrates the week of May 5th through May 11th, 2019, as "National Small Business

Week" and proclaims the week of May 6th through May 10th, 2019, 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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