2009 News

May 6, 2009

Commissioners Salute Sonia Smith, SBA’s 2009 “Eastern Pennsylvania Women in Business Champion of the Year”

Sonia Smith receives a Commendation Letter from the Commissioners on her SBA Award.During today’s meeting of the Board of Bucks County Commissioners at the Milford Twp. Fire Company, Small Business Administration (SBA) Philadelphia District Director David Dickson presented the 2009 “Eastern Pennsylvania Women in Business Champion” award to Sonia Smith of the Bucks County Community & Business Development department.

In her role with the county, Ms. Smith has created a one-stop clearinghouse for many of the 1,884 women-owned business firms in Bucks County – who employ over 14,000 workers and generate over $1.2 billion in sales and receipts annually. “Ms. Smith more than appropriately joins the roster of award winners from previous years and across the county whose commitment has made a real impact in the lives of woman business owners,” Mr. Dickson stated.

Commissioners Charles H. Martin, chairman, James F. Cawley, Esq. and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW commended Ms. Smith for her many public outreach endeavors. During 2008, those included eight different business workshops, including innovate seminars about “access to capital” and “business certification made simple.” In the words of one of her award supporters, Ms. Smith’s “passion and enthusiasm continue to improve the environment for the creation and expansion of businesses owned and operated by Bucks County women.”

During 2005, Ms. Smith, a Doylestown Township resident, developed the “Directory of Certified Businesses in Bucks County.” The publication, updated each year, is a handy resource guide that is available both in hard copy and on the official county Web site, www.BucksCounty.org. Ms. Smith is dedicated to promoting the resources available to emerging, existing and expanding women-owned businesses through loans, workshops, workforce development and housing assistance.

Ms. Smith also will be honored on May 14 during the SBA’s Annual Small Business Week Awards Ceremony, to be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Ms. Smith initially was nominated for the “Women in Business Champion of the Year” recognition by Curtis Burwell, Equal Opportunity Manager for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of General Services in Harrisburg.