On Mar. 19, Administrator Linda McMahon, the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced the 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year winners from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Each of the winners have been invited to attend ceremonies in Washington, DC on May 5-6, where they will be honored with their individual award. During the ceremonies, SBA will announce the 2019 National Small Business Person of the Year from the 53 winners from across the U.S. and territories. National Small Business Week will be observed May 5-11 with events around the country.

“I am delighted to recognize the 53 winners from across the country as they gather in our nation’s capital,” McMahon said. “Entrepreneurs are the innovators who take risks on ideas, invest in their communities, and create jobs. Their skills and creativity not only support their own families, but they also make our neighborhoods and cities vibrant places to live and work, fueling our overall economic strength. These small business owners best represent the nation’s 30 million small businesses and I look forward to welcoming the winners to Washington, DC in May when they are officially honored for their accomplishments.”

In West Virginia, the 2019 Small Business Person of the Year is Michael Mills, managing principal of the Mills Group, an architectural finn which he founded in 2005 in Morgantown. The Mills Group is a team of creative professional architects, designers, planners and historians with a focus on designing new structures which encompass the rich architectural character of the past. Mills and his team are committed to a quality end product derived from experience, creativity, and collaboration.

Mill’s expertise is a combination of his detailed knowledge of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation and his extensive experience working with historic structures. Michael has created historic design guidelines and has solved issues related to the revitalization of downtowns across the country.

The City of Lewisburg is one of the beneficiaries of Mill’s profession. He serves as the architectural consultant for the Historic Landmarks Commission. Once a month Mills attends the HLC open meeting at city hall as a resource adviser to members of the commission on design and construction issues. HLC Chair Carol Olson said Mills services to the commission and the community have been invaluable. “Lewisburg is the only city in West Virginia to be so fortunate as to have an architect consultant,” Olson said during a recent HLC meeting.

SBA’s West Virginia District Office will honor Mills and other state winners during an awards luncheon Wednesday, May 8, from 12 noon-2:30 p.m. at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont.