PORT TOWNSEND — Kathleen Purdy has advised more than 1,000 clients in Jefferson and Clallam since 1995 for the state Small Business Development Council.
She was recognized for that distinction on Thursday, when Brett Rogers, director of the state council network of 22 offices statewide, handed Purdy the Ron Battles Excellence Award in Port Townsend.
Rogers said that Purdy embodied the spirit of the top service honor, which comes via clients’ nominations and recognition.
“When they’re happy about the service they receive, I hear about it,” Rogers said, calling Purdy, “an incredibly confident business adviser who just makes our network stronger.
“Basically, the clients have spoken volumes.”
The Ron Battles Excellence Award was created after Battles, a friend of Rogers, died of cancer in October 2005 after serving the council for nine years.
The award embraces Battles’ concept of “doing the right things” and “doing things right,” Rogers said.
The honor “came as a surprise,” to Purdy, she said
Of those she has served, Purdy said, “there are many who return,” indicating they are happy with her counsel and assistance.
It is not the first time that SBDC has honored Purdy.
In 1997 and 2000, the council named her a “star performer” for her success in assisting small business.
Purdy provides confidential business consulting at no cost.
She has 30 years of business experience, including starting and running her own small business, management consulting, and holding management positions with both large and small businesses in a variety of industries.
She is also on the Washington State University College of Business and Economics faculty.
She earned a master’s degree in economics and finance from Trinity College, and a master’s in business administration from the University of Hartford.
She is a certified business advisor in economic development finance through the National Development Council.
Like other network advisors, Purdy provides one-on-one business counseling and mentoring on management issues.
Counseling focuses on starting and acquiring a small business, sources of financing and business plan preparation, marketing and sales, personnel management, financial analysis and selling a business.
To contact her, phone 360-344-3078 in Jefferson County, and 360-417-5657 in Clallam County, or e-mail her at kpurdy@olympus.net.
Her offices are at 211 Taylor St., Suite 402A in Port Townsend’s Mount Baker Block Building, and at 905 W. Ninth St., Suite 128, at Lincoln Center in Port Angeles.
For more information on the Small Business Development Council, visit www.wsbdc.org.
