HR157.DOC

WHEREAS, while the natural beauty of Hawaii is recognized throughout the world, the real beauty of our island state lies in its people, who through their personal and professional relationships have dedicated their efforts to serve the needs of the people of Hawaii and create the prosperity and high standards of living which we all enjoy; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's small business owners represent an essential component of our economy, providing critical jobs, products, and services while generating much-needed revenue and business activity for our State; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Small Business Administration is a federal agency dedicated to aiding, counseling, assisting, and protecting small business concerns; preserving free competitive enterprise; and maintaining and strengthening the overall economy of our nation and state; and

WHEREAS, each year, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes the accomplishments of those outstanding small business owners and leaders who display the highest levels of entrepreneurial spirit by selecting recipients for its Small Business Awards; and

WHEREAS, the Small Business Awards encompass a wide variety of categories relating to small business, including export businesses, home-based businesses, media and journalism companies, and financial service companies, among others; and

WHEREAS, GARRETT W. MARRERO and MELANIE M. OXLEY of Maui Brewing Company were awarded the 2017 SBA Small Business Persons of the Year Award for their dedication to creating 100 percent Hawaii produced and manufactured craft beer that uses local ingredients; and

WHEREAS, LAURA CRISTOBAL ANDERSLAND of Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts was recognized as the 2017 SBA Small Business Exporter of the Year for branding her homemade Kauai salts and food rubs as a versatile seasoning product worldwide; and

WHEREAS, PATRICK GESIK received the 2017 SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his work with Gesik Physical Therapy LLC, an independently owned orthopedic practice that focuses on providing its patients quality hands-on physical therapy services to restore function and relieve pain for optimal movement; and

WHEREAS, J. TERRY MULLEN was awarded the 2017 SBA Family Owned Small Business of the Year Award for his work on behalf of John Mullen and Co., Inc., a third generation local insurance company committed to providing quality insurance services to its customers; and

WHEREAS, MARIA A.F. ETRATA was recognized as the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Minorities for her work with Preferred Home and Community Based Services Inc., which provides accessible healthcare services to disabled and elderly populations in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, REGINALD E. BAKER was awarded the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Financial Services Award for his work with the small business community, for which he supports and proposes policies that help entrepreneurs obtain funding and gain networking opportunities; and

WHEREAS, SHERRY BRACKEN, a news correspondent for Mahalo Broadcasting and the Hawaii Public Radio, is the recipient of the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Journalism and Media Award for her unique storytelling ability to educate and inform the public of Hawaii's key issues; and

WHEREAS, CHRISTINE CAMP of Avalon Development Company, LLC was awarded the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Business and Industry Award for her significant contributions to the commercial and economic development of the State; and

WHEREAS, EDMUND OLSON is the recipient of the 2017 Makana Ho‘okō no Ke Ola SBA Special Award for Lifetime Legacy on behalf of his work with the Edmund C. Olson Trust II, where he applies strategic models designed to preserve the culture of the agri-business and tourism industry with local businesses; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, that this body hereby recognizes and congratulates the following winners of the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2017 State of Hawaii Awards: GARRETT W. MARRERO and MELANIE M. OXLEY of Maui Brewing Company for winning the 2017 SBA Small Business Persons of the Year Award, LAURA CRISTOBAL ANDERSLAND of Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts for being awarded the 2017 SBA Small Business Exporter of the Year Award, PATRICK GESIK of Gesik Physical Therapy LLC for winning the 2017 SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, J. TERRY MULLEN of John Mullen & Co., Inc. for being awarded the 2017 SBA Family-Owned Business of the Year Award, MARIA A.F. ETRATA of Preferred Home and Community Based Services, Inc. for winning the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Minorities Award, REGINALD E. BAKER of Reg Baker, CPA LLC for being recognized as the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Financial Services, SHERRY BRACKEN of Mahalo Broadcasting and Hawaii Public Radio for being the recipient of the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Media and Journalism Award, CHRISTINE CAMP of Avalon Development Company, LLC for being awarded the 2017 SBA Small Business Advocate for Business and Industry Award, and EDMUND OLSON of the Edmund C. Olson Trust II for being the recipient of the 2017 Makana Ho‘okō no Ke Ola SBA Special Award for Lifetime Legacy; and extends its warmest aloha and best wishes for continued success in all future endeavors.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Recognizing and Congratulating the U.S. Small Business Administration 2017 State of Hawaii Honorees.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	157
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII