Energ3's Dan LeVan

DAN LEVAN, founder and CEO of Energ3 (SED, Inc.) in Chattanooga, was recently named 2017 "Tennessee Small Business Person of the Year" by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

A Milwaukee-area native who moved to Chattanooga in 1994, LeVan's consulting services help his clients manage their energy spend. His latest venture, which became operational in 2013, has 15 employees and approximately 15 contract representatives in the U.S. and Canada.

LeVan, 54, will honor other states' SBA Persons of the Year for observances in Washington D.C., April 30-May 1, which is the beginning of National Small Business Week. At that time, finalists and a national winner will be announced.

Prior to his current business, he held senior executive roles in Barbados with Amphora Financial Group and TD Bank Group. Earlier, he was with AIG in Europe, with GenWorth Financial in Virginia, VP Finance/Operations for Transamerica for Asia and Latin America, in addition to prior posts with Unum, Abbott and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

LeVan, CLU and CPA, earned his MBA at DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and his bachelor's at Grace College and Seminary, according to his Linkedin.

Four out of the past five Tennessee Persons of the Year have come from East Tennessee and one from Middle Tennessee. The SBA awards have been presented annually since 1963.

The four other recent winners, in addition to LeVan in Chattanooga, were: Terence Douglas, Alliant Corp., Knoxville (2016); Edward Glaser, Sole Supports, Lyles, Tenn. (2015); Tracy Solomon, TEVET, Johnson City (2014); and, Hashem Hashemian, Analysis & Measurement Services Corp., Knoxville (2013). VTC

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