CATMEDIA’s founder and CEO, Catherine Downey, was named the 2016 Georgia Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA. Downey will be heading to D.C. to be formally recognized and potentially named the National Small Business Person of the Year.

“This recognition emphasizes how CATMEDIA’s core values drive business innovation and we look forward to providing creative solutions to clients in communications strategy, media production, and training,” Downey said.

CATMEDIA was founded in Atlanta in 1997 as a one-person operation and has since grown to 33 employees generating $17 million in revenue. As a true innovator, Downey is named on several patent-pending training and communications technologies. Under her leadership, CATMEDIA was named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in America in 2014 & 2015. Her commitment to excellent customer service is supported by a client list that includes some of the biggest names in federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, Centers for Disease Control, and Office of Personnel Management.

Downey, a lifelong learner, was honored by the SBA’s Georgia District as the 2014 Class Valedictorian in the “Emerging Leaders Program” and successfully graduated from the Tuck Executive Program under a full Women Business Enterprise National Council Dorothy B. Brothers scholarship, while serving on the state level advisory board for Georgia’s Small Business Development Center. Downey is an active business member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, WBENC, US Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Greater Women’s Business Council, and Vistage International.

Each year, the SBA selects the Small Business Person of the Year from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The award recognizes small business owners and entrepreneurs for their success and achievements in business. The Small Business Person of the Year Award is a part of National Small Business Week, May 2-6, 2016, which highlights the outstanding efforts of small business owners.