Friday, January 26, 2024
Written by Tony Wilkinson, President & CEO
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A TRIBUTE TO A TRUE FRIEND TO SMALL BUSINESSES, TO THE 7(a) PROGRAM AND TO ALL OF US IN THE INDUSTRY
We are deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of Louis Taylor, founder and CEO of Novatraq, who left us on Sunday, January 21. His absence will be deeply felt by the entire extended NAGGL family.
For nearly three decades, Louis has been a guiding force in our sector, tracing back to his days in Washington, DC, where he held the positions of Chief Counsel and Staff Director with the US Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship under the leadership of Senator Kit Bond of Missouri. In these roles, he was instrumental in shaping the Committee's legislative strategies and supervisory objectives, authoring amendments to the Small Business Act, and playing a key part in the confirmation processes for multiple SBA Administrators. During that time, Louis was also the architect of the last comprehensive reauthorization bill for the Small Business Administration which successfully became law in 1997. To this day, no one else has matched that legislative feat.
A respected figure in our industry, Louis served as the Chairman of the NAGGL Government Relations Committee for five years, playing a critical role in developing and implementing strategies to assure policy outcomes that support the success of the 7(a) Loan Program. Louis' commitment to our community extended through his three-year term on the NAGGL Board of Directors and he was well-known for sharing his expertise as a regular speaker at our gatherings. The Association recognized his exemplary service to the small business industry in 2019 by honoring him with the NAGGL Distinguished Service Award, our most prestigious award. Under Louis’ leadership, Novatraq has been a generous sponsor of numerous NAGGL events.
On a personal note, Louis was a friend, a golfing buddy, a trusted advisor, and a confidant. I frequently sought his advice and counsel on Association issues. Those of us who knew Louis well knew that his family was the center of his universe. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Stephanie, a dedicated educator whose students always eagerly awaited Louis’ visits to her classroom, and two sons, Trent and Blake, who were his pride and joy. Lastly, he leaves behind Novatraq, the business he dedicated himself to building as part of his mission to promote small business in America.
Louis' profound insight and expertise, garnered through his years working in the United States Senate, and all of his efforts on behalf of small businesses in the years that followed, have been an irreplaceable asset to our Association and the small business community. We will miss his guidance and wisdom, and, most of all, we will miss his camaraderie.
