WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former Baton Rouge Police officer was honored Monday as National Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Iam Tucker, 41, is the president and CEO of New Orleans civil engineering firm Integrated Logistical Support. Tucker has been in charge of the firm that specializes in sewer and drainage design for more than 15 years. Her father founded the company 30 years ago, The Advocate reports.

Since taking over, Tucker, who served as a Baton Rouge cop from 2006 to 2008, grew the company from nine to 50 employees. The company has secured more than 100 contracts with local, state and federal agencies under Tucker's leadership.

Tucker was honored at the National Small Business Week awards ceremony, where Heather McDowell of Seattle Green Earth Cleaning was the runner-up for the honor of National Small Business Person of the Year. SBA head Isabel Casillas Guzman said that Tucker personified the "grit, ingenuity and determination" that makes a great entrepreneur. 

“As a second-generation owner of ILSI, Iam has overseen tremendous business growth over the last 15 years in the engineering field while demonstrating the value of hard work and resourcefulness in ensuring continued resilience," SBA head Isabel Casillas Guzman said. "I am honored that the SBA has been a part of her successful and ongoing journey.”