04/23/2008
CONTACT: Brad Jones, 573-634-7660 or Todd Pack, 615-872-5897
Kathy Swan praised as tireless supporter of NFIB, small business
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Kathy Swan, president of JCS/Tel-Link in Cape Girardeau, has been named the 2008 Small Business Champion for Missouri by the National Federation of Independent Business and Solveras, one of the nation's leading payment processing companies for small business.
"Kathy does everything she possibly can to help small business," said Brad Jones, state director NFIB/Missouri. "She's the kind of person who volunteers before she's asked to help. She's a true friend."
Swan joined NFIB/Missouri in 1999. Over the years, she's been a tireless spokesperson for small business, whether she's promoting small business in Jefferson City or participating in a discussion on small business issues with President Bush in Washington, D.C.
Swan routinely nominates high school seniors for NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation scholarships and donates money to other NFIB scholarships. She's a major contributor to NFIB's political action committee, the Save America's Free Enterprise (SAFE) Trust, and actively recruits other entrepreneurs and small business owners to join NFIB/Missouri.
"I believe small business owners should get involved and make their voices heard on issues that affect them, like healthcare," Swan said.
Johnson Communications Service Inc. was founded as a family business in 1959 as a Motorola service center. Swan and her husband, Reg, took over the family business, in 1986. Since then, the business has become a dealer for Motorola and Kenwood two-way radio products and a retailer for Verizon Wireless, XM Satellite Radio, Globalstar satellite phones and other services. JCS/Tel-Link also has locations in Arnold, Dexter, Doniphan, Perryville and Poplar Bluff, Mo.; and Anna and Chester, Ill.
"Kathy is a true champion of small business," Jones said. "She truly believes in sharing her success with others, whether by helping fund scholarships for young entrepreneurs or donating her time to speak out on issues affecting small business owners."
