The NJ Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Ramapo College’s Economic Recovery Task Force Initiative was recognized at the NJ State Governor’s Jefferson Awards on September 12, 2021.

The Jefferson Awards, founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr., and Sam Beard, is America’s top honor for public service. Widely considered the Nobel Prize for public service, the Jefferson Awards recognize people and groups that make a difference in their local communities. In NJ, Jefferson Awards are administered by the NJ Governor’s Office of Volunteerism.

The Economic Recovery Task Force Initiative was selected as an honoree under the Volunteer Program/Group award category. The Economic Recovery Task Force Initiative is chaired by Ryan Greff. Through the Initiative, student volunteers have served on specialized task force teams designed to comprehensively assist local companies bounce back from the aftermath of the pandemic. Each task force has been led by a professional SBDC management consultant, who takes the lead in business interfacing activities. Since the Initiative’s inception in 2020, thousands of hours have been devoted supporting small businesses in the region.

The New Jersey Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Ramapo College is a federal-state-education partnership, primarily funded by the United States Small Business Administration, that provides no-cost business management counseling and information services to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Vincent Vicari is the Regional Director of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Bergen County.