SBAC Celebrates Small Businesses and Accomplishments During its Annual Holiday Luncheon

SAVANNAH, GA, December 7, 2023

The Small Business Assistance Corporation (SBAC) recently celebrated its Annual Holiday Luncheon at the Savannah Golf Club, highlighting its achievements in 2023. The event recognized staff, volunteer board and loan committee members, and winners of its annual awards while honoring past leadership.

For FY 2023, SBAC funded 65 small business loans, totaling over $9.14 million, with support from banking partners through their referral program. The organization received nearly $3.9 million in grant funding and provided several educational workshops to business owners throughout the year. SBAC also issued 54 business scholarships totaling over $90,000 to its clients.

Below is a list of the award recipients for this year’s luncheon:

• T. McCoy Cornerstone Award – Rebecca Powers, Loan Administrator for Queensborough Bank and Trust Co.
• Small Business Lender of the Year – Carol Brooks, Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending at Ameris Bank.
• Micro Business of the Year – Waters Cafe
• Michael Bunn, Sr. Memorial Rising Star Award – BMR Logistics, Inc.
• Volunteer Excellence Award – Ronald Weller, Retired Vice President at BB&T
• Diamond Award – Tony O’Reilly, Stephen George, & Tyrone Baker

The luncheon concluded with the unveiling of SBAC’s first self-published legacy book entitled, “The First 34 Years of SBAC”. (Learn more here: https://sbacsav.com/sbac-legacy-book/)

President and CEO, Victoria Saxton, highlighted the event’s significance in recognizing contributions, fostering relationships, and raising awareness of SBAC’s work in supporting small businesses.

For more information on the Small Business Assistance Corporation and to download the 2023 SBAC Annual Report, visit sbacsav.com here: https://sbacsav.com/sbac-2023-annual-report/

About the Small Business Assistance Corporation

Established in 1989, the Small Business Assistance Corporation (SBAC) is a nonprofit lender that provides financing support for small businesses. SBAC is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. SBAC is also a Certified Development Company (CDC) licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and contracted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and the City of Savannah to promote small business development through financing and technical assistance. It offers a wide variety of loan programs for new and existing businesses in Savannah and throughout Southeast Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry.

For additional information about the Small Business Assistance Corporation, please call 912-232-4700 or visit online at SBACsav.com. The SBAC is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.

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