The Small Business Environmental Assistance Program/Small Business Ombudsman (SBEAP/SBO) National Steering Committee (NSC) Awards are the States’ premier awards program for recognizing outstanding environmental leadership among small businesses and small business assistance providers.
These awards recognize small businesses, SBEAP/SBO programs and individuals, trade associations and other business assistance providers who have made significant contributions to protecting the environment. The awards program is a partnership with U.S. EPA Asbestos and Small Business Office.
Small Business Environmental Stewardship Award
This award showcases the accomplishments of a Small Business that has worked with a local, state, territory, or national SBO/SBEAP in the areas of improving environmental performance, pollution prevention, sustainability, and mentoring.
Blue Planet Lawn initially approached the Utah SBEAP with questions regarding business permits, and also worked with the SBEAP on pollution prevention measures and in 2022 launched a Zero Emission lawn care business. Blue Planet Lawn exclusively uses electric, battery powered, and solar charged lawn care equipment and vehicles. During their startup and first full year in operation during 2023, Blue Planet Lawn proved that a fully electric, battery-powered lawn care operation is efficient and financially sustainable. With its true ZERO EMISSION statement, the company has found a strong acceptance in the residential and corporate market. Customers appreciate the clean and quiet lawn care service.
Blue Planet Lawn has been sharing their business metrics of running a successful Zero Emission company. This included several presentations at air quality industry stakeholder meetings and through 1 Million Cups, an event for local entrepreneurs to meet and present startups to their peers. They have especially been connecting with younger entrepreneurs with a commitment to work with them to develop their own electric equipment powered startups. This spring, Blue Planet Lawn was invited to speak at the Intermountain Sustainability Summit at Weber State University where they presented their key findings and results over the past 3 years.
Blue Planet Lawn tracks metrics to demonstrate their pollution prevention success. With two to three crews active daily, they have reduced pollution by an amount equivalent to 2 million car miles in 2024. This promotes a behavioral change among Utah citizens, leading to specific requests for electric lawn care to improve air quality.
SBEAP Excellence Award
This award shows exemplary performance of one Small Business Ombudsman/Small Business Environmental Assistance Program or individual in compliance assistance, sustainability, advocacy, and collaboration at the national level. It emphasizes state program leadership or individual leadership where they have created resources and work products, promoted policy advancements, developed program innovations, and established new partnerships to build a strong network of small business assistance.
The North Carolina SBEAP program has been named the best in the nation by the National Small Business Environmental Assistance Program. This marks the third time the North Carolina program, led solely by Tony Pendola, has earned this prestigious national recognition—a record-setting achievement. Due to a three-year waiting period between awards, no other program in the country has reached this milestone.
The national award recognizes outstanding performance in areas such as compliance assistance, sustainability, advocacy, and collaboration at the national level. The North Carolina SBEAP continues to set the standard nationwide, with Tony Pendola playing a pivotal leadership role.
“North Carolina has consistently been one of our top contributors and Tony Pendola, individually, has been a leader in our national network for decades,” said Chris Lynch, Chair of the National Steering Committee for State SBEAPs. “I remember when he joined 26 years ago, and it’s been incredible to watch him become such tremendous advocate for small businesses.”
A recognized expert and facilitator, Pendola is particularly known for his work with the collision repair industry, regularly contributing to trade publications that reached more than 11,500 automotive professionals this past year alone. His collaborative approach has also made the NC SBEAP a trusted partner among national trade associations, helping ensure small businesses have access to critical compliance assistance from the outset.
Pendola’s outreach extends to federal regulators as well. By sharing small business innovations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, he has helped shape more practical and effective environmental regulations—regulations that better reflect on-the-ground realities for small businesses and safeguard the health of communities across the nation.
Karen V. Brown Environmental Leadership Award
This award category showcases the accomplishments of an individual who promotes small business compliance assistance, sustainability, advocacy, and collaboration nationwide. It honors their leadership, innovation, dedication to environmental protection, and highlights their efforts to build strong local/state/federal partnerships for small business compliance assistance over their career with SBEAP/SBO.
Donovan Grimwood of the Tennessee Small Business Environmental Assistance Program has been named the 2025 winner of the Karen V. Brown Leadership Award. Grimwood was recognized for his leadership and participation within his state SBEAP as well as the National SBEAP. He has been part of the Tennessee SBEAP for more than 26 years and during that time has directly assisted nearly 3,000 small businesses on a one-on-one basis, helping them understand the regulations that affect their businesses and how to be in compliance with environmental rules that help provide clean air, water, and land for all of Tennessee, while also allowing for economic prosperity.
“He has and continues to be critical to the stability and continuity of the National SBEAP program.,” said Belinda Briedenbach of the Idaho Small Business Development Center in the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. “Donovan is very passionate about his work and is always more than willing to share his knowledge.”
“Donovan has taken assistance to the SBA Office of Advocacy to a new level by serving on Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) panels,” said Tony Pendola of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. “He facilitates open discussion by humble example amongst the state SBEAPs. Karen was a very unique leader, but I don’t think anyone else exemplifies unique leadership like Donovan does!”