Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) Small Business Programs was honored with the prestigious 2025 Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in Services by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on May 5. Small Business Liaison Officer Lisa Tanner accepted the award on behalf of SRNS during the National Small Business Week ceremony in  Washington, D.C., where SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler honored the awardees.

The SBA recognizes excellence across small businesses and key resource partners to empower
American job creators and drive economic growth in government contracting. Fifty-three winners
attended the ceremony, where they were honored with individual awards and witnessed the naming of
the 2025 National Small Business Person of the Year.

“This Dwight D. Eisenhower Award represents the highest honor for a contractor as a small business
advocate,” said Jay Johnson, SRNS Deputy Senior Vice President of Business Services and Chief
Contracting Officer.

“I’m so proud of the SRNS Supply Chain Management Procurement team for their intentional actions to fully leverage the capability and expertise of our small businesses.”

Since 2018, SRNS small business commitments to procure site materials and services has created 15,700 local jobs and 82,800 regional positions. Over the last five years, SRNS has committed $2.6 billion dollars—66% of total commitments—to small businesses. In fiscal year (FY) 2024 alone, SRNS set a record of $798 million in commitments to local, regional and national small businesses.

Additionally,SRNS continues to assist small businesses navigating contract award processes to ensure they are considered for subcontracting opportunities supporting the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

“Lisa brings a level of excellence to small business programs that is second to none,” said Gary Lyttek,
Senior Business Source Manager for the NNSA Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services.

“Her hard work is a credit to herself, SRNS and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Her efforts directly result in expanded economic growth in American companies – we couldn’t be prouder of her.”

According to Tanner, SRNS has received five awards for best practices in small business over the last three years, thanks to its dedicated team of professionals.

“We are dedicated to working with and helping small businesses grow, and we take pride in opportunities made available to work with SRNS,” said Tanner. “SRNS executes a ‘small business first’ approach for procurements, with some buyers awarding over 93% of work, in any given month, to small businesses.”

Tanner continued, “Our small business team consistently offers resources to help small businesses navigate the procurement process, which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to fostering economic growth and innovation through partnerships with small enterprises.”

Notable Contributions of the SRNS Small Business Program:

• Increased small business engagement by participating in 21 supplier outreach events in FY24.
• Increased the number of small businesses enrolled in the DOE Mentor-Protégé Program, with
overall investment growing from $400,000 to $41 million since 2015.
• Implemented a supplier portal to foster a diverse supplier base and ensure adherence to relevant
regulations.
• Maintained a supplier database that SRNS Buyers use as a sourcing tool.

“By championing small businesses, SRNS creates a more dynamic and resilient business ecosystem,
contributing to the broader economic prosperity,” said Dave Dietz, SRNS Senior Director of Supply Chain
Procurement.

“Earning the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award emphasizes our unwavering commitment to small businesses. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with these invaluable enterprises as we drive innovation and growth at SRNS.”