Michaela Cavallaro of South Portland, editor of Mainebiz, has received the U.S. Small Business Administration’s highest award, the National Small Business Journalist of the Year for 2005. Earlier this year Cavallaro had been named the Maine 2005 Small Business Journalist of the Year, and New England Regional Small Business Journalist of the Year. The national award will be presented to Cavallaro in Washington, D.C. at the SBA 2005 Awards Expo on April 27.

“I am privileged to work with an excellent team of writers and designers, whose efforts combine to make Mainebiz a must-read for business people across the state,” Cavallaro said. “I’m honored to accept this national recognition on behalf of the paper’s entire staff.”

John Massaua, state director of the Maine Small Business Development Center, nominated Cavallaro for the award last fall. According to Charles E. Summers, New England regional administrator for the SBA, “The statewide business newspaper Mainebiz produces high quality small-business news, profiles, features and in-depth reports on Maine trends and small businesses.” He also said, “Michaela Cavallaro is responsible, in large part, for the growth and development of this publication. Her drive and creativity reflects the spirit of entrepreneurship in Maine. We are honored that she was chosen for this national award.”

As editor of the award-winning statewide business newspaper, Cavallaro oversees the paper’s editorial direction and content, contributes news stories and features, supervises the editorial staff and represents Mainebiz at business events. The statewide business newspaper, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2004, is published every two weeks.

Cavallaro, a South Portland resident, was named editor of Mainebiz in March 2004, four years after being hired as the paper’s first staff reporter. She has also held the positions of associate editor and managing editor at the paper. She holds a master’s degree in writing and publishing from Emerson College in Boston, and is a 1994 graduate of Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y.

Cavallaro has also received several national awards from the Alliance of Area Business Publications for writing excellence. She received the 2004 “Best Personality Profile’ award from for her profile of Maine furniture legend Tom Moser, and the 2002 award for “Best Reporter.” In 2004, the AABP also named Mainebiz “Best Newspaper” in the small circulation category. In 2003, Cavallaro received three first-place awards from Maine Media Women.

Cavallaro volunteers for Girls Kick ALS, which raises funds for a Cape Elizabeth woman recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease; the Maine Association of Nonprofits, for whom she conducts seminars on working with the media; and Springboard, a program of Common Good Ventures that provides strategic business advice to Maine nonprofits.

In addition to the national SBA award ceremony in Washington in April, Cavallaro will be honored at Maine’s celebration June 2nd at the Sheraton South Portland Hotel.

For further information on the award recipients or celebration, please contact the Maine District SBA Office at 622-8274. For more information about Mainebiz, go to www.mainebiz.biz

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