The Arizona Small Business Association ( ASBA ) and the U.S. Small Business Administration ( SBA ) will kick-off national Small Business Month in May by announcing Arizona’s small business award winners at the 19th Annual Enterprise Business Awards Luncheon on May 1. The luncheon will be held at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and, notably, LifeLock Chief Executive Officer Todd Davis will provide the keynote address on how a gutsy, spur of the moment marketing decision turned the Arizona-based startup into a two million plus customer phenomenon.

“It’s an honor for the Arizona Small Business Association to recognize these exceptional Arizona businesses,” says Rick Murray, chief executive officer of ASBA. “They represent the very best in innovation, business and entrepreneurial spirit that Arizona has to offer, and exemplify the great business leadership that is contributing to our state’s strengthening economy and excellence.”

“Each year the SBA has the honor of spotlighting Arizona winners of our Small Business Week awards in a ceremony that recognizes and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and community activism that has long characterized the small business community of our great state,” said Robert J. Blaney, the District Director of the SBA in Arizona. “These men and women are the risk takers, the innovators and the employers that power our economy and daily serve our communities in business and as local leaders.”

Recipients of the 2012 U.S. Small Business Administration Awards represent small business achievements across the state.

Small Business Person of the Year: Zeferino Banda, owner of Banda Group International (BGI) of Chandler

• Small Business Exporter of the Year: Dr. Manuel Padilla, President of Geotechnical Consulting and Testing Systems (GCTS) of Tempe

• Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year: AGM Container Controls of Tucson

• Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Virgilia Kaur Singh, CEO of MIB Consultants of Scottsdale

• Minority and Small Business Champion of the Year: Lea Marquez Peterson of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber

• Women in Business Champion of the Year: Janet Marcotte, Executive Director of the YWCA in Tucson

• Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year: Tom Shambo of the Microbusiness Advancement Center’s Small Business Development Center of Tucson

• Financial Services Champion of the Year: Karen Goettl, Vice President and Regional Loan Operations Manager of Western Alliance Bank of Phoenix

The “Small Business Person of the Year” award recipient, Zeferino Banda, will represent the State of Arizona during national Small Business Week in Washington D.C. May 20-26.

At the awards luncheon, ASBA will also reveal the winner of its “amAZing Small Business Video Contest.” The contest began accepting video submissions in March which answered the question, “My small business is amAZing™ because…” The contest is open to all Arizona small businesses through Friday, April 20. Contest submission details can be found at www.asba.com/amazingbusiness. The event will also feature a video booth where attendees can stop by and tape a video about their business on site.  Each attendee will receive a copy of their video after the event to use however they would like.

Join the celebration honoring these small business leaders on May 1st at 11am-1:30pm at the Arizona Biltmore Resort (2400 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, AZ). To register, visit www.asba.com/enterprise or call 602-306-4000.