Small Business Development Center Wins National Excellence Award

The award is part of the SBA’s annual National Small Business Week awards program and it recognizes SBA-funded training and assistance partners for their impact on local economic growth, job creation and entrepreneurial support. The ASU SBDC is the first Texas entity to earn an award in this category, and it was honored for achieving excellence in multiple areas, including:

• Exceeding annual small business services and economic goals for 2024:
  • Total Clients Counseled – 164% of goal
  • Business Start-Ups & Expansions – 152%
  • Jobs Created & Retained – 140%
  • Capital Infusion Total – 150%
  • Training Attendees – 193%
  • Number of Training Events – 141%
• Individual excellence of staff providing counseling and training services to small businesses
• Success of small businesses through SBDC counseling and training
• Cooperative programs with the SBA District Office in San Antonio
• Membership in the local Business Resource Center Economic Development Partnership
• Creating and implementing the San Angelo Business Plan Competition and ASU BizPitch student entrepreneurship contest
• Active engagement in ASU’s Norris-Vincent College of Business

Dezaray Johnson “The team at the ASU SBDC is honored to be recognized as a center of excellence and innovation,” said Dezaray Johnson, SBDC director. “This esteemed award illustrates how our team truly lives our Core Values in all that we do to support our small business clients. We could not have the successful programs that we do without the support of Angelo State leadership, community partners, and other fantastic SBDCs that all contribute to helping each other thrive.”

For FY2024, the ASU SBDC supported 76 small business start-ups and expansions through confidential advising services, while also hosting 113 training events and seminars, supporting the business education of over 1,900 attendees. This resulted in the creation and retention of over 390 jobs, as well as the capital infusion of over $6.75 million for the regional economy.

“Everything is bigger in Texas – including the remarkable impact of the ASU Small Business Development Center,” said Inessa Stepanenko, SBA deputy district director. “Earning the SBA’s 2025 SBDC Excellence and Innovation Award is an extraordinary accomplishment. This prestigious national recognition underscores the ASU SBDC’s steadfast dedication to supporting small businesses. Their commitment to delivering expert guidance, essential resources and unwavering support has profoundly impacted entrepreneurs across the region. The San Antonio District Office proudly applauds the small businesses and the SBDC in San Angelo for this well-deserved national accolade!”

Paul Fitzpatrick, Associate Administrator of the Office of Entrepreneurial Development, presenting the National Excellence and Innovation Award to (L-R) Dezaray Johnson, Elisabeth Dantzler, Katelyn Polk, and Annie Jones at Washington DC.

Since it opened in 1990, the ASU SBDC has been a cornerstone of entrepreneurial growth in San Angelo and the Concho Valley. It serves a 10-county region with a five-person staff and three ASU graduate students, providing expert business advising and training to support start-ups and existing businesses in planning, financing, marketing and management. Located downtown in the Business Resource Center, it is also affiliated with the Texas South-West SBDC Network, which amplifies its capacity to deliver high-quality technical business services.

Additionally, ASU graduate business students annually gain valuable hands-on experience interning at the SBDC, and students in all academic majors are invited to compete in the annual BizPitch entrepreneurship contest that offers substantial prize money for the top performers to fund their business start-ups.