Fall 2012 - SBDC Receives Multiple Awards

Pictured: Deborah Maddy, Associate
Director/Associate Provost, OSU Extension;
JimLindly, Director, LCC Small Business
Development Center; Shirl Meads,
Operations Coordintator, LCC Small Business
Development Center; and Scott Reed, Vice
ProvostUniversity Outreach and Engagement/
OSU Extension Director. Not pictured: Diane
Pigg, Agricultural Business Management Program
Instructor/Coordinator

By Chris Cunningham

The U.S. Small Business Administration recognized Lane's Small Business Development Center with multiple awards in May 2012.

Among them, the SBDC received the state and regional Excellence and Innovation Awards. Lane's SBDC is one of 19 centers in Oregon, along with centers in Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.

Gary Smith, Small Business Management program faculty, received recognition for training and advising local entrepreneurs. Students say Smith understands the challenges and risks that businesspeople face. They consistently offer him high praise for his well-organized curricula and one-on-one consulting.

Shirl Meads, SBDC center operations lead, was acknowledged for identifying niche occupational groups for program
development, including veterans, rural businesses and farmers and ranchers.

Earlier in May, the Oregon State University Extension Association honored Meads, SBDC director James Lindly, and agricultural business management instructor, Diane Pigg, with an Outreach and Engagement Cooperator Award, for the Agriculture Business Management program's partnership with Lane County Extension Service.

Lindly received the state's "shining star" designation, which reflects his ability to maintain a high caliber workplace and to create programs that allow small business entrepreneurs to achieve their potential.