[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JANICE DONALDSON

 Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, as chairman of the Senate Committee 
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today I recognize and honor the 
career of Janice Donaldson, Director of the Small Business Development 
Center--SBDC--at the University of North Florida, UNF. At the end of 
this month, she will retire after serving the small business community 
for 31 years.
  Since 1981, Mrs. Donaldson has supported small business owners and 
entrepreneurs in the Jacksonville area. After graduating from the 
University of Georgia in 1980, Janice joined the SBDC at UNF as editor 
of the office newsletter. After 21 years with the office, Mrs. 
Donaldson took over as director in 2002 and has been a resilient leader 
throughout her years of service.
  During her tenure as director, the center's service area grew 
immensely, from one office serving five counties, to seven offices 
serving 18 counties. Additionally, SBDC expanded its services from 
supporting entrepreneurs, to now enabling clients to grow their 
existing small businesses.
  In her final year as director, Mrs. Donaldson faced one of her most 
difficult challenges yet. The COVID-19 pandemic forced her office to 
work remotely where they had to quickly acclimate to the ever-changing 
economic conditions. Under her leadership, the SBDC team worked 
diligently to help small businesses adapt to the pandemic, advising on 
financial assistance opportunities available, including the Paycheck 
Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans through the U.S. 
Small Business Administration. This year alone, the center has 
participated in more than 20,000 consulting hours and facilitated the 
awards of approximately $50 million in capital to small businesses in 
her region.
  Over the years, Mrs. Donaldson has shown paramount dedication to 
small businesses. She has played a critical role in the economic growth 
of northeast Florida and has nurtured the American dream. Mrs. 
Donaldson will be greatly missed by her colleagues and the thousands of 
business owners she has assisted throughout her notable career. I wish 
her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors.

                          ____________________