[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 85 (Thursday, June 23, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MELANIE SABELHAUS: A STRONG VOICE FOR SMALL BUSINESS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 22, 2005

  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, today, I wish to recognize the outstanding 
dedication and leadership of Melanie Sabelhaus for her efforts and 
accomplishments in supporting small business nationwide. Melanie became 
the Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration in April 
of 2002, and has since helped to lead the agency to greater efficiency 
and effectiveness while drawing attention to women-owned businesses. 
She is leaving her position this month to pursue opportunities in the 
private sector.
  After 15 years at IBM, Melanie Sabelhaus learned firsthand some of 
the challenges that face entrepreneurs when she started a property 
rental and management company in 1986. Melanie's entrepreneurial drive 
and business savvy grew her small business into a $10 million dollar a 
year enterprise. This woman is a success story.
  When Melanie arrived at the SBA, she pledged to help create more 
opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs using her 
extensive business knowledge. She fulfilled her promise to an extent I 
could not have imagined. She, along with Administrator Hector Barreto 
and the rest of the agency, followed the President's Management agenda. 
SBA has made solid progress on most areas of the President's Management 
agenda.
  Melanie was responsible for the successful implementation of the 
Execution Scorecard, which introduced ways to measure and rank district 
offices and SBA programs. The SBA also introduced the Business 
Matchmaking program while Melanie was in office, which has already 
resulted in 25,000 one-on-one meetings between small business owners 
and Federal agencies or large companies in the private sector.
  As a woman entrepreneur herself, Melanie has given particular 
attention and support to women in small businesses. When she arrived at 
the agency in 2002, there were only 11,285 7(a) and 504 loans granted 
to women entrepreneurs for the entire year. In the past year, the 
number of loans to women has increased to over 18,000 for the two main 
loan programs at the agency. She is the leading advocate for women in 
business in this country, and has been a tremendous role model for 
women everywhere.
  Melanie Sabelhaus has been the recipient of numerous philanthropy, 
business and government leadership awards, including 2002 Outstanding 
Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year Award for Maryland, awarded by the 
Association of Fundraising Professionals; the Artemis Award from the 
European-American Women's Conference; the Distinguished Women's Award 
from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland; the Superstar Award from the 
Alzheimer's Association of Central Maryland, Maryland's Top 100 Women 
from The Daily Record; and the Outstanding Business Achievement Award 
from Ohio University.
  I am sure that wherever Melanie Sabelhaus goes after her departure 
this month, she will make a similarly lasting mark there as she has at 
the SBA. Although I am sorry to see her go, my wife, Freda, and I wish 
her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors.

                          ____________________