SMALL BUSINESS CHAMPION -- Rodney P. Hunt, second from left, president and CEO of federal contractor RS Information Systems, receives the SBA award as Small Business Champion of the Year at ceremonies in Washington, D.C. With Hunt, from left, are Joseph P. Loddo, SBA district director for the D.C. area; Melanie Sabelhaus, SBA deputy administrator, and M. Charito Kruvant, SBA advisory council chairperson. Hunt was honored for his efforts in helping small businesses compete as federal contractors.

May 19, Washington, D.C.- RS Information Systems President and CEO Rodney P. Hunt today was honored as 2005 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year by U.S. Small Business Administration’s Washington Metropolitan Area District.

In a ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Building in the nation’s Capital, Hunt received an award from Melanie Sabelhaus, SBA deputy administrator, and Joseph P. Loddo, SBA’s Washington Metropolitan Area’s district director. Awards also were presented to several small businesses. Hunt was selected for his “hard work, expertise and commitment” to small businesses.

Under his leadership, RSIS mentors a large number of small businesses and gives many small firms subcontracting opportunities on RSIS government contracts. In addition, the RSIS CEO is a popular speaker at small business seminars where he offers encouragement and guidance to minority- and women-owned firms seeking to carve out a position for themselves in the federal IT marketplace.

Hunt, who founded RSIS 1992, recalled the challenges he faced as owner of a start-up company in the highly competitive federal marketplace. RSIS now has 1800 employees and nearly 100 federal contracts throughout the country. He offered this advice to the audience of small business owners:

“Work hard and deliver a solid performance on those contracts government agencies set aside for small businesses, but don’t be content with that. Remember that a team of small businesses can do just as good a job as a large company on the big federal contracts as well.”

Federal Computer Week last year named Hunt to the Federal 100, a list of 100 leaders in government and industry who had a substantial impact on the government IT community. Last year Hunt also was named Executive of the Year in the mid-size contractor category for his “outstanding contributions to employees, clients, the industry and our community.” The award was given by the Professional Services Council, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and Washington Technology. The previous year, the same group named RSIS Federal Contractor of the Year. Hunt has been recognized by several groups as one of the most successful African American entrepreneurs in the country. Black Enterprise ranks RSIS as the largest African American-owned business in the Washington, D.C.-Virginia area and the 15^th largest African American-owned company in the nation.  RSIS headquarters is in McLean, Va.