CFCC Small Business Center Staff Earns Statewide Awards

November 13, 2026

Jeanna O’Neal and Jerry Coleman smile while holding framed Center of Excellence awards outside a brick building. O’Neal received the Service Excellence Award, and Coleman received the State Director of the Year

Wilmington, NC (November 13, 2026) –Cape Fear Community College’s Small Business Center staff received statewide recognition at the North Carolina Small Business Center Network’s Fall Professional Development Conference on Nov. 4, 2026.

Director Jerry Coleman was named a co-recipient of the 2026 State Director of the Year award after the CFCC Small Business Center helped launch more new businesses than any other center in North Carolina’s network this year.

Coleman helped bring the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, a free business training program that offers access to capital and personalized support services, to the Cape Fear region. He also serves as regional director for nine Small Business Centers in southeastern North Carolina. His work across the statewide network includes economic impact reporting, professional development, and facilitating the ProfitCents Users Group and the Small Business Center Network Startup Showdown.

CFCC Small Business Center program coordinator Jenna O’Neal also received the Service Excellence Award for her work on the network’s statewide administrative committee. The committee, which includes representatives from four community colleges, launched Administrative Quarterly Connect, a virtual networking initiative allowing staff to collaborate on ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness across the centers. The committee is also developing a central resource for administrative staff across the state that will bring together onboarding materials, training videos, checklists, and reference guides, as well as professional development and credentialing opportunities.

The North Carolina Community College System’s Small Business Center Network serves aspiring and existing entrepreneurs through all 58 community colleges. It offers confidential business counseling, training, technical assistance, and connections to business resources.

To learn more about the CFCC Small Business Center, visit https://cfcc.edu/small-business-center/

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