06/17/2004
Contact: Nancy St. Pierre, (214) 614-3008
Wanda Chandler Rohm, president of Presto Printing, Inc., in San Antonio was recognized as the NFIB’s Central region "Small-Business Champion" Wednesday during an awards luncheon during the 2004 NFIB National Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C.
 |
| NFIB President Jack Faris, NFIB Central Region Small-Business Champion Wanda Rohm of San Antonio and NFIB Vice President of State Public Policy Steve Woods |
Seven regional winners, including Rohm, were honored Wednesday by NFIB President and CEO Jack Faris and NFIB Vice President of Public Policy Steve Woods along with each of the 50 NFIB state directors. The luncheon featured keynote speaker Hector Barreto, SBA Administrator.
Faris described the “Small-Business Champion” winners from all 50 states as “the difference makers in NFIB.”
Rohm was selected from a field of fellow state small-business champions from an 11-state region including Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
"Wanda Rohm as been a tireless advocate for small business in Texas,” said NFIB/Texas State Director Jeff Clark. “Never backing down, never accepting defeat, she’s an inspiration to small-business owners across America.”
A native Texan, Rohm serves as the NFIB/Texas Leadership Council chair and served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business. Twenty-one years ago she left the corporate world and started her own printing business after purchasing a business card printing press that was invented by her uncle. Rohm served as an appointee to the Governor's Council on Economic Development where she boldly spoke about the need for workers' compensation reform, unemployment insurance reform and affordable small-business health insurance.
“I am truly honored but didn’t get this award on my own,” Rohm said. “From the team in the NFIB/Texas office all of the members, we all earned this award. “I truly enjoy getting to meet with other small-business owners and working with them to help solve the issues that affect us all.”
Among her accomplishments, Rohm has also successfully campaigned for the passage of a constitutional amendment to limit damage awards in some lawsuits. Rohm also provided critical testimony on NFIB legislation including NFIB/Texas' small-business health insurance pooling bill, which was passed in 2003. A 10-year member of NFIB, Rohm was appointed by then-Gov. George W. Bush to serve on the Texas Council of Workforce Development and Economic Competitiveness. She was recently inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame in San Antonio.
Rohm is among a 12-member Texas delegation that traveled to Washington, D.C. for the National Federation of Independent Business 2004 National Small Business Summit June 16-18. Summit activities include sessions headed by elected officials on issues affecting small business. President George W. Bush will address NFIB small-business owners from across the nation on Thursday afternoon.
###
Visa, the world's leading payment brand and largest payment system, is proud to be the Title Sponsor of the 2004 National Small Business Summit. Other corporate sponsors include MBNA America, Dell, FedEx, Wells Fargo, GatesMcDonald, LBA (The Latin Business Association) and NFIB Member Benefits.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the nation’s largest small-business advocacy group. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its 600,000 members in Washington and all 50 state capitals. For more information on NFIB visit www.NFIB.com. NFIB’s 2004 National Small Business Summit will be held June 16-18 in Washington, D.C. More information is available on-line at www.NFIB.com/summit.
