NSBA Unveils 2010 Small Business Stars

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NSBA today announced the 2010 Small Business Stars, 10 of the most influential, small-business friendly members of Congress, their staff, members of the Administration and the media. The awardees exemplified the kind of leadership small business needs and deserves.

"Rather than simply give lip-service to small business, these individuals have fought hard battles and pushed for the betterment of small business," stated NSBA President Todd McCracken. "I am proud to have them fighting on our side."

While each of the Stars have made a significant contribution, two stand out as the most tireless, committed individuals advocating for the small-business community: The Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

Senator Mary Landrieu

Having only assumed the chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee last year, Sen. Mary Landrieu quickly has established herself as a strong and vocal advocate for America's small businesses. Whether fighting for the inclusion of small business in credit-card reform, eliminating the self-employment tax on health insurance, urging increased lending through SBA or standing firm against efforts to allow businesses majority owned by large venture capital (VC) firms unlimited access to the Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program, Landrieu has shown us that perhaps bipartisanship for the good of the cause isn't dead just yet.

Senator Olympia Snowe

In her continued leadership role with the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Sen. Olympia Snowe's collaborative efforts with Landrieu, and her predecessor, Sen. John Kerry have been instrumental in many key pieces of legislation. Her drive to keep health care reform affordable, provide an easier path for small-business retirement savings through SIMPLE cafeteria plans, and myriad other bills to strengthen the state of small businesses in the U.S. has earned her a reputation for getting the job done and being a tireless advocate for small business.

Senator Mike Enzi

A former small-business owner himself, Sen. Mike Enzi has been a key small-business champion, keeping a watchful eye against the overreaching and unfair advances of organized labor that would greatly harm small business. As one of the bipartisan "Gang of Six" negotiators over the health care bill, Sen. Enzi spent countless hours trying to achieve the right balance of cost-containment, and improved quality and access to health care.

Senator Judd Gregg

Long known as someone willing to reach across the aisle, Sen. Judd Gregg has introduced bipartisan legislation that would ease the never-ending complexity of the tax code. In addition to his most recent efforts on tax simplification, Gregg has a long track-record of understanding key small-business issues when it comes to health care.

Senator Blanche Lincoln

As one of the Senate Finance Committee's top-ranking Democrats, Sen. Blanche Lincoln is a leading advocate for a permanent fix of the estate tax for Arkansas's small businesses. Another outstanding example of bipartisanship, Lincoln has worked with Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) to champion a reasonable deficit-neutral fix, which is supported by NSBA, so that small businesses in Arkansas and across the country are able to plan and grow their business.

Representative Edward Markey

Congressman Edward Markey has been a longtime advocate for small-business innovation and a leader in the effort to improve the Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program. His ongoing efforts, along with legislation he introduced to amend the NSBA-opposed House SBIR reauthorization bill (H.R. 2965) have gone a long way toward ensuring a fair and reasonable path forward for the SBIR program that strengthens true small-business innovation.

Representative Shelley Berkley

An outspoken advocate for a reasonable and permanent reform of the estate tax, Rep. Shelley Berkley has introduced bipartisan legislation, the Estate Tax Relief Act (H.R. 3905), which would create a sensible, stable and permanent framework to help families and small businesses effectively plan for the future. 

Gene Sperling, Counselor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Treasury

Gene Sperling was one of the first and most important policymakers to realize that small business access to credit would be a linchpin to any U.S. economic recovery. He is widely seen as a key architect of the Administration's new initiatives to promote small business lending through community banks, state small business credit programs, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

Dave Helfert - Formerly Communications Director for Rep. Neil Abercrombie

As the lead staffer for small-business issues for former Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), Dave Helfert has displayed an uncommon passion and tenacity for helping entrepreneurs. With Helfert, a former small-business owner, by his side, Rep. Abercrombie was an outspoken champion of small-business credit-card reform and enhancing access to capital for small business.

Peter Barnes, Senior Washington Correspondent, FOX Business Network
Another former entrepreneur on the list, Peter Barnes has provided some of the most thought-provoking television coverage of small-business issues in the last year. He has actively reached out to the small-business community as he covers not only the policy makers, but the implications on small businesses of their policy decisions as well.

"In a time when campaign speech platitudes and empty rhetoric are the norm from our elected officials, it's refreshing to see a group of individuals proving through their actions that they are wholly committed to ensuring that small businesses can continue to start, grow and thrive," stated NSBA Chair Keith Ashmus, co-founding partner of Frantz Ward, LLP in Cleveland, Ohio.

The 2010 Small Business Stars will be awarded throughout National Small Business Week and during the NSBA Washington Presentation, May 26 and 27.

Since 1937, NSBA has advocated on behalf of America's entrepreneurs. A staunchly nonpartisan organization, NSBA reaches more than 150,000 small businesses nationwide and is proud to be the nation's first small-business advocacy organization. For more information, please visit www.nsba.biz

SOURCE National Small Business Association