Four Orange County business people have been chosen for state or regional awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration and are in contention for national honors.

Rob R. Ukropina, founder and chief executive of Overnite Express, a regional package delivery service based in Irvine, is the 2007 California Small Business Person of the Year. He and 52 others (one from each state plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands) will compete for National Small Business Person, to be named during SBA ceremonies in Washington, D.C., in April.

John O'Connor, founder of Shamrock Supply Co. Inc. in Santa Ana, won for the district and Region IX 2007 family-owned business of the year. Region IX encompasses California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada.

Don Gonneville, president of Gonneville Inc. in San Juan Capistrano, is the district and Region IX 2007 Veteran Small Business Champion, for his work with military veterans.

Addy Perez-Mau, founder of Heaven Sent Jewelry in Fountain Valley, is the district and Region IX 2007 Home-Based Business Champion.

The national winners in these categories will also be announced in April.
The SBA's office in Santa Ana will honor district winners at an awards luncheon 11:30 a.m. May 17 at the Ontario Convention Center. More than 850 people are expected to attend. The Santa Ana district serves Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The district winners are: Janet Cronick, president, Ultimate Gifts, Fountain Valley, Women in Business Champion; Joe Gardner, president, Gardner Systems, Santa Ana, Financial Services Champion; Joel Ayala, president, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Orange County, Santa Ana, Minority Small Business Champion; Gene Rosecrans, PFF Bank & Trust, Rancho Cucamonga, Financial Services Champion; Bob Dixon, editor, The Business Press, San Bernardino, Small Business Journalist; and Roberto Gallegos, president, Nuestra Casa Mortgage Inc.,Santa Ana, finalist for Small Business Person of 2007.

Admission to the luncheon is $75. For reservations and information, contact Patty Holohan at 909-793-2908 or psholoha@aol.com.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7927 or jnorman@ocregister.com