BOG celebrates 3 on winning SBA administration awards

HAGÅTÑA, Guam—Bank of Guam celebrates Guam’s winners of the 2024 U.S. Small Business Administration Awards.

Jessica Leon Guerrero, president, M80 Systems Inc., was awarded the 2024 Guam Small Business Person of the Year. Sara Pleadwell Doctor and Monique Genereux Amani, owners of MoSa’s Joint, were awarded the 2024 Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year for Guam.

In December 2023, Bank of Guam submitted nominations for Leon Guerrero and Doctor and Amani for the U.S. SBA Awards. To celebrate their recognition and remarkable achievement, Bank of Guam hosted a celebration mixer on July 17th at the M80 offices.

During the celebration, SBA Guam Branch manager Kenneth Lujan and SBA regional administrator Elmy Bermejo, presented the awards to this year’s honorees. Bermejo oversees SBA programs, offices, and operations in the SBA’s Pacific region, serving Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada. This marks the first time a regional administrator has presented awards to Guam winners.

“Having known and worked with Jessica over the years, we’ve witnessed firsthand her incredible journey both as a business leader and community partner. Her entrepreneurial spirit, inspired by her family’s legacy in business, has been the driving force behind her successful leadership at M80. What truly sets Jessica apart is her ability to recognize and pursue opportunities that are not just good for business but also make an impact in our community. Congratulations Jessica on this well-deserved recognition!” said Joaquin P. L.G. Cook, president and chief executive Officer, Bank of Guam and the U.S. SBA-2020 Financial Services Champion of the Year.

Leon Guerrero exemplifies entrepreneurship and community dedication through her role as a business leader, wife and mother of five. Leading her woman-owned, HUB Zone Certified Small Business with M80, Leon Guerrero passionately transforms visions into reality, as a leading solutions provider in the region.

Beyond business, she’s deeply involved in community service, holding positions as Treasurer of the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Advisory Board Member of the American Cancer Society Guam Chapter, and Chairwoman of the Guam Children’s Museum board. Leon Guerrero was also recognized with the Reina A. Leddy Guam Young Professional of the Year in 2019 and was nominated for Guam’s Businesswoman of the Year. She is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Entrepreneurship Program. (PR)