SBA: Houston, Texas

Houston District Seeks Small Business Award Nominations

National Small Business Week 2013 The U.S. Small Business Administration Houston District Office is now accepting nominations for SBA’s 2013 National Small Business Week awards.  Each year during Small Business Week, small businesses are recognized for their contributions to the prosperity of our Nation’s economy.  Nominations are due January 3, 2013. The Small Business Week Nomination Guidelines can be found on the Houston District webpage at www.sba.gov/tx/houston.  District nomination packages must be submitted to the SBA Houston District Office, Attn: Russell Hughes, 8701 S. Gessner, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77074. Nominations will be accepted in the following categories: Small Business Person of the Year Small Business Exporter of the Year SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year Financial Services Champion of the Year Home-Based Champion of the Year Minority Small Business Champion of the Year Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year Women In Business Champion of the Year Nominees for these awards should fit the following criteria: Small Business Person of the Year: The Houston District Small Business Person of the Year will be selected based on staying power as evidenced by a minimum three years in business, growth in number of employees, increase in sales, innovativeness of product or service, response to adversity and contributions to community-oriented projects.   The winner will will advance for further competition at the regional level and the regional winner will advance to compete for the National Small Business Person of the Year award.  Small Business Exporter of the Year:  An individual who owns and operates a small business engaged in exporting. SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year:  To be considered a young entrepreneur, the individual must serve as a majority owner and operate or bear principal responsibility for operating a small business with a three year track record, and who will not have reached the age of 30 by June 1, 2013. Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year:  This award honors a family-owned and operated business which has been passed on from one generation to the next.  The owner must also serve as a majority owner and operator or bear principal responsibility with at least a 15-year track record. The following Champion award nominees may or not be small business owners: Financial Services Champion of the Year:  An individual who assists small businesses through advocacy efforts to increase the usefulness and availability of accounting or financial services.  Home-Based Business Champion of the Year:  An individual who has experienced the rewards and difficulties of owning a home-based business and has volunteered to improve the climate for these businesses may be nominated. Minority Small Business Champion of the Year:  An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of small business opportunities for minority business owners.  Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year:  An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of small business opportunities for veterans of the U.S. armed forces may be nominated. Nominees may or may not be veterans. Women in Business Champion of the Year:  An individual who has fulfilled a commitment to the advancement of women’s business ownership may be nominated. For more information contact Russell Hughes at 713-773-6527 or Russell.Hughes@sba.gov.

SBA Introduces New Online Portal for 2012 National Small Business Week Awards Nominations

SBA Introduces New Online Portal for 2012 National Small Business Week Awards Nominations

 WASHINGTON – A new online portal has been launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration to accept nominations for its 2013 National Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year award.

The dedicated web portal, accessible at http://nationalsmallbusinessweek.sba.gov/, will make it easier to submit and track submissions of nominees for Small Business Week 2013, and is now actively accepting nominations of noteworthy small businesses.

“The National Small Business Week Awards program is a great way for us to recognize the best of the best in small business ownership,” said SBA South Florida District Director Francisco “Pancho” Marrero.  “I encourage all South Florida small business owners to consider submitting a nomination for these national awards as well as our own South Florida District Small Business Awards.”

Since 1963, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to our nation’s economy.  In 2013, the 50th year celebration will honor the nation’s 27 million small businesses.

SBA Awards given in celebration of National Small Business Week include the following awards:

·         National Small Business Person of the Year (chosen from among state award winners from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam)

·         Phoenix Awards (recognizing outstanding accomplishments during disaster recovery)

·         Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year

·         Small Business Subcontractor of the Year

·         The Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence (recognizes large prime contractors who have used small businesses as suppliers and contractors)

·         SBA 8(a) Graduate of the Year (for recent graduates of the SBA’s 8(a) contracting program)

·         Small Business Development Center (SBDC)Excellence and Innovation Award (nominations of SBA-funded SBDC Service Centers)

·         Women’s Business Center (WBCs) of Excellence Award (nominations of SBA-funded WBCs)

·         Veterans Business Outreach Center Excellence in Service Award (nominations of SBA-funded Veterans Business Outreach Centers)

In addition to the portal, nominations can also be sent directly to SBA District Offices, which can be located online at http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-list/2.  All nominations must be submitted or postmarked to the SBA by January 3, 2013.

Winners of the Small Business Person of the Year awards and winners in the other award categories will be invited to Washington, D.C., to compete for national titles and to attend National Small Business Week events in 2013. 

ICE Agent Settles Harassment Lawsuit With Gov't

By: Alicia A. Caldwell, Associated Press

11/16/2012 ( 9:25am)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the government have agreed to settle a discrimination lawsuit, according a court record filed Thursday.

In a two-sentence notice, a lawyer for ICE Agent James T. Hayes Jr. said the "parties have come to an agreement in principal" to settle the case for $175,000.

Hayes' attorney in Maryland, Morris Fischer, wrote that along with the money, "a formal settlement agreement will be executed within the next several days" that will include other conditions, including Hayes keeping his job. It was not immediately clear who will pay Hayes, who is currently in charge of the agency's New York office.

Fischer was in a deposition Thursday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hayes filed the lawsuit in May and described a "frat house" environment at ICE that humiliated male employees under former ICE chief of staff Suzanne Barr.

After Hayes' case was filed, additional employees came forward with other allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior toward employees. In one complaint, Barr was accused of calling a male subordinate "sexy" and asking a personal question about his anatomy at an office party. A different complaint alleged that she offered to perform an oral sex act on a male subordinate during a work trip to Bogota, Colombia.

Barr went on leave in August after a newspaper story was published about the case and resigned in September. In her resignation letter to ICE Director John Morton, Barr said she has been the subject of "unfounded allegations designed to destroy my reputation" and was resigning "with great regret."

Copyright 2012 Associated Press.

Webinar: How the WARN Program Facilitates Rapid Response and Recovery of Water Systems

Water Sector Mutual Aid

How the WARN Program Facilitates Rapid Response and Recovery of Water Systems

November 28, 2012 -- 12:00 Noon Eastern

EMForum.org is pleased to host a one hour presentation and interactive discussion Wednesday, November 28, 2012, beginning at 12:00 Noon Eastern time (please convert to your local time). Our topic will be WARN, an intrastate network of water and wastewater utilities that share resources with one another during emergencies. Most recently, WARN was activated for Hurricane Sandy. Our guests will include John Whitler, Environmental Protection Specialist with the EPA's Water Security Division and Kevin Morley, Security and Preparedness Program Manager for the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

Please make plans to join us, and see the Background Page for links to related resources and participant Instructions. On the day of the program, use the Webinar Login link not more than 30 minutes before the scheduled time. The password is attend. As always, please feel free to extend this invitation to your colleagues, especially those responsible for water and waste water facilities.

Until then, best wishes to you and your family for a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

In partnership with Jacksonville State University, EIIP offers CEUs for attending EMForum.org Webinars.  See http://www.emforum.org/CEUs.htm for details.

Is your organization interested in becoming an EIIP Partner? Click here to review our Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles and access the Memorandum of Partnership.

Potential Health Hazard in Your Home: Mold

Get Rid of Mold

Main Content

Release date:    November 18, 2012

Release Number:    4086-020

LINCROFT, N.J.-- Everywhere they look, survivors of Hurricane Sandy see reminders of the destruction – fallen trees, washed out roads, smashed windows. But the most persistent reminder may be the least visible: mold.

The microscopic fungus grows wherever moisture is present – in debris, inside walls, under floors, in attics. If not treated, mold can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions and damage materials long after the storm.

The good news: mold, and its close relative mildew, can be controlled. Once a home is habitable, dry it out with fans, dehumidifiers and vacuums. Remove all wet items including carpeting, furniture, insulation, food products and bedding. Any material that has been wet more than 48 hours should be thrown out!

Unsaturated porous material, such as drywall, ceiling tiles, furniture that contains wood by-products and carpeting, and non-porous items – metal, glass, wood, plastic – can be treated in a few simple steps:

• Wear gloves, a mask and eye protection. Make sure the area is well ventilated.
• Wash items with non-ammonia based detergent and hot water and allow to dry.
• Disinfect cleaned surfaces with a solution of a cup and a half of bleach in a gallon of hot water. Let the solution stay on the surface at least 10 minutes.
• Rinse with clear water and allow to dry.
• Monitor treated materials for several days. If mold develops, discard them. 

Severe mold infestations should be treated by qualified professionals. Survivors who have flood insurance should carefully document the damage with photos, receipts and samples from water-damaged goods. 

The primary concern is health. Survivors should take precautions, because mold affects the nervous system, causes headaches, mood changes, memory loss, respiratory problems, nasal and sinus congestion and skin, eye, nose and throat irritation. 

For more information about mold, its removal, its prevention and associated health problems, go

to the New Jersey Department of Health Mold website. See also the FEMA publication Mold & Mildew: Cleaning Up Your Flood-Damaged Home  and FEMA video,Eradicating Mold and Mildew.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Last Updated:    November 18, 2012 - 16:56

State or Region:    New Jersey and Region II   

Related Disaster:   New Jersey Hurricane Sandy