51ĀŅĀ×

Cindy Voorhies, SBDC director and business advisor, was recently awarded with the Peer Advocacy Award at the SBDC statewide conference.

Three counselors from 51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) were recognized at the Ohio SBDC statewide conference in November for earned certifications and outstanding work.

Cindy Voorhies, SBDC director and business advisor for Belmont, Guernsey and Muskingum counties, received the Peer Advocacy Award for her distinguished work in promoting SBDC services. The award recognizes an individual who goes above and beyond to educate and raise awareness of the Small Business Development Center, especially with funding partners and local officials.

OHIO SBDC Regional Director Lissa Jollick nominated Voorhies for the award due to her ongoing outreach to make economic development officials more aware of the SBDC, and to ensure partners recognize the ways the SBDC can assist them.

ā€œI feel blessed to be working for someone that respects me and values my work,ā€ Voorhies said. ā€œWhen I won, I felt truly blessed to be working for Lissa, 51ĀŅĀ× and with the Ohio Small Business Development Center network.ā€

Advisors Carleen Dotson and John Voorhies received their Certified Business Advisor designations. The Certified Business Advisor is a graduate-level certification process administered by Kent State University. Its three courses on human resource management, marketing and accounting/finance are designed to maximize on-the-job performance by those who advise small businesses. All Ohio SBDC counselors are required to earn the certification within six months of being hired.

Jollick said her teamā€™s recognition at the state conference is further proof that the 51ĀŅĀ× SBDC is doing an exceptional job. The SBDC was named the U.S. Small Business Administrationā€™s Region V Small Business Development Center of the Year for 2018. The OHIO SBDC serves businesses in 12 Southeast Ohio counties including Athens, Meigs, Hocking, Perry, Fairfield, Washington, Morgan, Noble, Monroe, Muskingum, Guernsey and Belmont.

ā€œWhen we have staff earning recognition, itā€™s continuing to reinforce the fact that we are a best-practice center, and our performance is creating high-level results,ā€ Jollick said.