The Florida SBDC Region of the Year Award was presented to the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida for their high-impact consulting and specialty programs. In 2024, the region delivered 17,811 consulting hours to more than 2,200 clients. As a result, the region helped clients start 142 businesses, access over $57 million in capital, and obtain more than $161 million in government contracts.
The Florida State Star Award was presented to Marge Cirillo, a business consultant from the Florida SBDC at the University of North Florida. 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. This year's award was presented to Cirillo in recognition of her exceptional performance in 2024, having significantly exceeded her individual goals while also contributing to the overall success of her region. As part of the award, Cirillo will be honored during the America’s SBDC 46th Annual Training Event in Orlando next week alongside other top-performing consultants nationally.
The Florida Alan Cowart Pioneer Award was presented to the Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida for their CEO XChange program. Established in 2010 in response to client demand for ongoing support beyond traditional consulting, CEO XChange offers a confidential, peer-to-peer roundtable experience for business leaders. This innovative program fosters meaningful dialogue, strategic insight, and collaborative problem-solving—empowering CEOs to overcome challenges, refine their vision, and drive sustainable growth.
The Florida Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Stephanie Ordonez of the Florida SBDC at the University of South Florida in recognition of her creativity and impactful contributions to the center’s marketing efforts. Her innovative ideas have elevated the visibility and reach of the Florida SBDC at USF, helping to strengthen its connection with the small business community.
The State Office Distinguished Service Award was presented to Michael Spooneybarger, State Office Photographer and Videographer, for his dedication, work ethic, and creative talents to elevate the network’s marketing and storytelling efforts.
The Florida Rising Star Award was presented to Chris Evangelista from the Florida SBDC at the University of North Florida. This award recognizes employees with fewer than five years of service who have made a difference in their region. Evangelista was honored for his initiative, professionalism, and for being a trusted resource in the community who consistently goes above and beyond to support both his clients and colleagues.
The Florida Team Spirit Award was presented to Debbie Lanford from the Florida SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University in recognition for her exceptional collaboration and leadership. This award honors individuals who exemplify teamwork and initiative, and Lanford stood out for her efforts in educating colleagues on international trade and STEP Grants, leading impactful statewide webinars, and developing practical tools that drive measurable results.
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 / Sutamed Corp. The graduate student project winner was the Florida SBDC at UCF / US Submergent Technologies.
The Florida Resource Partner of the Year Award was presented to Florida First Capital for their longstanding partnership with the Florida SBDC Network and their work in helping small businesses access the capital they need to grow and create jobs.
The Florida Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to David Rosenfeld. Rosenfeld was recognized for his two decades of dedicated service as a volunteer advisor with the Florida SBDC at UCF Advisory Board Council and his continued support of business development in the region.
The network also recognized staff in three categories of lifetime achievement awards: capital access, new business starts, and government contracting impact during their tenure with the network:
Capital Access Lifetime Achievement Awardees:
· Hal Thayer, Florida SBDC at UCF - $75M +
· Ray Juncosa, Florida SBDC at FIU - $75M +
· Jodi Henson, Florida SBDC at UNF - $50M +
· Maggie Incandela, Florida SBDC at UCF - $50M +
Laura Subel, Government Contracting Lifetime Achievement Awardees:
· Aubri Shauger-Haley, Florida SBDC at USF - $75M +
· Mike Chung, Florida SBDC at UNF - $50M +
New Business Starts Lifetime Achievement Awardees:
· Frederic Bonneau, Florida SBDC at FIU - 400 +
· Marge Cirillo, Florida SBDC at UNF - 300 +
· Elizabeth Goldbach, Florida SBDC at FGCU - 125 +
· Suzanne Specht, Florida SBDC at FGCU - 125 +
· Lilian Urbandt, Florida SBDC at FIU - 75 +
· Jamie Mead, Florida SBDC at UCF - 75 +
· Luis Vargas, Florida SBDC at FGCU - 75+
Service Year Awards were also presented to employees for achieving service year milestones.
The Florida SBDC Network wishes to thank its 2025 event sponsors and partners: Florida First Capital Finance Corporation, Florida Power & Light, Square, The Florida High Tech Corridor, Florida Business Exchange, CareerSource Florida, Suncoast Credit Union, Cyber Florida at the University of South Florida, FloridaMakes, Better Business Bureau, Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, Florida Chamber of Commerce, Veterans Florida, Bank of Edison, Port of Tampa Bay, Verizon, Lendistry, Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, Florida Economic Development Council, and Florida Trend.
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