The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Georgia District Office has hand-selected Tiffany Hines, owner of Global Escapes in Athens, GA, for the Women in Business Champion Award, one of eight coveted 2019 Small Business Week Awards. Hines was the only recipient from the Athens Area. She will be honored at a ceremony scheduled for May 2 in Atlanta.

“These awards aren’t just about recognizing business success; they also are focused on recognizing the efforts of small business advocates that support and empower entrepreneurs,” said Terry Denison, the director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Georgia District office.

Hines was nominated for the award by Laura Katz, area director for the Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia.

“Tiffany has stood out to me because she invests time and energy into her team members in order to help them achieve ever-elevating goals,” Katz said. “In Tiffany’s mind, there is always more to learn, more to achieve, and more to do in order to help others.”

“I am humbled to be named the 2019 Women in Business Champion for Georgia,” said Hines. “I have been an advocate for women in the work force my entire life, and my mission within my own company is to enable women to have it all…a thriving career, a family, and time for self-care.”

Hines’ mother, Ella Grondahl, started Global Escapes in 1988 when Hines was a student at the University of Georgia. Since taking the helm in 2008, Hines has not only transformed the way Global Escapes does business, but she has also helped the travel industry redefine its place in an ever-changing world.

Hines is an active member of the Travel Agency Management Solutions (TAMS) group and is a past member of the Signature Travel Network’s marketing and training committees. She recently took home Travel Weekly’s Magellan Award, as well as the Kaizen Award from her TAMS group.

Outside of the office, you can find her at a business function, most likely with the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, which she serves as a board member. She also is involved with the Junior League of Athens, The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce, and the American Heart Association.

On top of all the energy she funnels into her business, her focus remains on working with her husband Chris to raise their two daughters to also be strong, independent leaders. She has made it a point to show them the world and to lead by example so that they, too, will one day be exceptional leaders.

Annually, since 1963, the president of the United States has issued a proclamation calling for the first week in May to be celebrated as National Small Business Week. There are national events planned in Washington, DC., New York City, Indianapolis, Dallas, and Fresno, GA, commemorating this special time.

To learn more about National Small Business Week, visit www.sba.gov/nsbw.