More than 200 people came together to support SBAC small business advocacy efforts at this year’s 1^st Annual Advocacy Awards and Dinner Celebration held April 19 at the historical Chicago Cultural Center.

In addition to cocktails, dinner, silent and live auctions and networking, Steve Banke, CEO and Founder of 3-Points LLC, was presented with the Advocate of the Year Award, and Jeff Richardson and Nettie Zelkowitz received the Phillip Zelkowtiz Entrepreneurship Award. State Representative Karen May was also recognized for her sponsorship of the health care cooperative legislation in the Illinois House, which ultimately led to the Illinois Department of
Insurance authorizing health care coops in Illinois.

Check out the SBAC Facebook page for more photos from the event!

SBAC President Elliot Richardson announced at the event a new partnership between the SBAC and SimpleHX, a group of surgeons, physicians and business executives. The two groups will work together to bring health care coops to Illinois businesses. Stay tuned for more health care coop developments.

Special thanks to our event sponsors:

Champion Sponsor

Jeff Richardson, Elliter

Advocate Table Sponsors

Steve Jaffe, eDot

Jeff Gordon, Duff & Phelps

Policy Sponsors

Steve Bank, 3-Points

Michael Bromiley, Gentry Venture Partners

Business Sponsors

Joe Demarco, DeMarco Sciaccotta Wilkens & Dunleavy

Steven Goldberg, Total Insurance

Brian Mack, Mack Law Group

Patrick Markey, Law Offices of Patrick Markey, P.C.

David Davis, Davis Audio & Video LLC

Tim Whiting, Whiting Law Group. Ltd

Corey Gasman, Gasman Design

Marc Blumenthal, Law Offices of Marc N. Blumenthal

David Frank, Somercor 504

Marco Maggiore, SaberGuard ID Theft Protection

Matthew Simpson, Strategic Document Solutions Inc.

Barbara Levinson, Barbara Balloons