Florida SBDC IRSC nominates professor for statewide award

 

From left to right: IRSC School of Business Dean, Dr. Prashanth Pilly, FSBDC at IRSC Regional Director, Tom Kindred, FSBDC Network Volunteer of the Year Dr. Herb Ricardo, FSBDC at IRSC Business Consultant Mike Bernard and IRSC President Dr. Tim Moore

The Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Indian River State College (IRSC) announced the nomination of Dr. Herb Ricardo of the IRSC School of Business for the Florida SBDC Network Volunteer of the Year award. Ricardo accepted the regional award at a meeting with IRSC president, Dr. Tim Moore, in early June. The regional award automatically entered Ricardo in for the statewide award, in which he took home the title for on Monday, June 27, 2022 where FSBDC at IRSC Regional Director, Tom Kindred, accepted the statewide award on Ricardo’s behalf at the FSBDC Network annual conference in Tampa Bay, Florida. 

Volunteers provide opportunities to expand and enhance service capacity and capability to meet the diverse and complex needs of SBDC clients. This award recognizes one volunteer from each SBDC region that has provided significant, direct contributions with respect to advocacy, consulting, training, program development or special projects during calendar year 2021.

Dependable and efficient, Dr. Ricardo is always willing to lend his time and talents to assist the Florida SBDC at IRSC. Dr. Ricardo has served Indian River State College for over 22 years as a Professor at the IRSC School of Business. It was through Dr. Ricardo’s initial collaboration efforts that the Florida SBDC at IRSC has developed a long-term and valuable relationship with the school of business. Because of Dr. Ricardo’s outreach and partnership commitment to the center, SBDC clients have the ability to leverage and utilize the talents, intelligence, enthusiasm and business acumen of IRSC senior level business students. The students engage center clients through multiple programs and classes, including the capstone course, internships and focus groups. At the beginning of each semester Dr. Ricardo invites an SBDC center representative to present information regarding the center and its business assistance and resource programs to capstone participants. In creating the list of regional businesses for capstone classes Dr. Ricardo always prioritizes center clients. 

Beyond connecting center clients to students, Dr. Ricardo also lends and provides his time, expertise and business acumen for use by the center. He often serves as guest host for both radio and podcast segments of Small Biz Florida. He is also a frequent contributor to Treasure Coast Business Magazine providing best practice articles. Over the past four years Dr. Ricardo has also served as a member of the center’s banking committee for the purpose of reviewing emergency bridge loan applications. His leadership on this committee has provided for the distribution of over $5.8 million in emergency funding to regional small businesses. He also leads strategic planning sessions and training programs for center partners and stakeholders. Center consultants appreciate collaborating on projects with Dr. Ricardo because of his entrepreneurial and innovative thinking, his attention to detail and a willingness to take on the difficult projects. Despite an overwhelming amount of work and responsibilities associated with his primary role of professor, Dr. Ricardo consistently finds ways to assist the SBDC at IRSC, its stakeholders and clients. His willingness to assist others and commitment to promoting all of the resources available to the Treasure Coast business community has provided valuable and credible exposure for the center. More than a volunteer, Dr. Ricardo is truly part of the SBDC TEAM. It is the center’s honor to add Dr. Ricardo’s name next to any recognition for his many contributions to the Florida SBDC at IRSC.

For more information regarding the FSBDC at IRSC, please contact our center at (772) 336-6285 or fsbdc@irsc.edu 

About the Florida SBDC Network: 

For over forty years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy. 

In 2019, Florida SBDCs provided 114,064 hours of professional business consulting to 12,535 client businesses, resulting in 37,966 jobs impacted; $4.4 billion in sales generated; $496.5 million in government contracts acquired; and $255.3 million in capital accessed; and 453 new businesses started.  With over 40 offices statewide, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.

 

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