The director of the Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center brought home top awards from an SBC conference in November, according to a news release.

Jerry Coleman recieved two awards of excellence – State SBC Director of the Year and Business Success Story: Most Impact – during the SBC Network Annual Conference. Coleman has served as the CFCC SBC director since 2016.

State SBC Director of the Year is presented to the director who has provided significant support, time and service at the state level over and above their job description, the release stated.

“Jerry is one of the most engaging and caring individuals on my staff,” said John Downing, CFCC Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development. “His passion for his work and the individuals he impacts is unparalleled. He distinguished himself as a standout amongst state directors during the pandemic by utilizing COVID-19 funding to help small businesses in New Hanover and Pender counties.

"The SBC received $52,217 in Pandemic Relief Funding, which was spent in its entirety on local small businesses. Jerry then worked to secure an additional $164,927 in unspent allocations across the state. The result was over $217,000 of funding to assist Wilmington-area small businesses in their growth and development during a time of unprecedented challenges.”

Coleman was also the recipient of the “Business Success Story: Most Impact” award. This recognition is given to the SBC director whose direct involvement with a client resulted in a significant economic impact.

“I began consulting with Jerry Coleman in May of 2021,” said Ashleigh Leuck, Founder and CEO of Breakthrough Autism, in the release. “I constituted the business in December 2020. COVID-19 had left me without a job and my clients without an Applied Behavior Analysis provider, so I took it upon myself to open the practice and fill the void within our local community. However, because my practice was started based on a vision, passion, heart, and ambition, I had nothing set aside to start my business. I had to bootstrap my way to where I am now, and Jerry’s advice was fundamental to my success.”