U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, was presented with the Small Business Council of America’s 2015 Congressional Award on Wednesday for his “significant efforts on behalf of small businesses in this country… dedication to small business and understanding of the economic, tax and employee benefit problems facing small businesses today.”

“I am honored to receive this award on behalf of small businessmen and women across the state of Georgia who create jobs and keep our economy moving,” said Isakson. “As someone who ran a small business for two decades, I understand the problems facing these hardworking Americans, and I do my best to effectively represent them when making policy decisions.”

The Small Business Council of America is a national nonprofit organization that has represented the interests of privately-held and family-owned businesses on federal tax, health care and employee benefit matters since 1979.

Isakson began his business career in 1967 when he opened the first Cobb County office of a small, family-owned real estate business, Northside Realty. During Isakson’s 20 years as president of Northside, the company grew into the largest independent residential real estate brokerage company in the Southeast and one of the largest in America.