 | | Cassius F. Butts, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration and City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Sign Strategic Alliance Agreement Spurring Small Business Growth |
SBAOne & LINC= Smart, Bold & Accessible:Cassius F. Butts, Regional Administrator keynoted and joined a panel at the Consumer Bankers Association's CBA Live 2015 Conference in Orlando, FL. The panelists highlighted and complimented the SBA for establishing innovative, new products that are helpful for both lenders and borrowers; SBAOne and LINC. Learn more on these products by visiting www.sba.gov. Pictured left to right: Tim Dixon, SVP & SBA Program Manager, FirstMerit Bank, Ken Connell, EVP & business Banking Sales Director, Huntington Bank, Larry Conley, SVP & National Specialty Finance Manager, Chase Bank & Chairman, NAGGL, Cassius F. Butts, SBA Regional Administrator | |  |
SBA Can Help You Reach Global Markets By Cassius F. Butts, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration Today, 98 percent of American companies that export are small businesses, but more than half of our exporters are only selling to one foreign market; usually Canada or Mexico. It's time to take action to help more entrepreneurs reach new markets for their goods and services. > Read more What's Happening for Small Business In Your Area? | | Alabama DistrictTom Todt, Alabama District DirectorAlabama has been selected as a host location for the Emerging Leaders program, one of 48 locations now offering the program nationwide. SBA has been offering the program since 2008, and graduates of the program have created over 2,400 jobs, secured federal, state, local and tribal contract awards over $1 Billion, and have secured over $73 Million in new financing.
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David Ramp, Project Manager for the Emerging Leaders-Birmingham project, briefs members of a Special Advisory Group about the program. Members of the Advisory Group include business owners, SBA Resource Partners and state government business advocates | |  |
 | | North Florida DistrictWilfredo J. Gonzalez, District DirectorDebbie Brown, North Florida Deputy District Director retired from federal service on March 17, 2015. Debbie has twice served as Deputy District Director for the North Florida District, once from 1998-2003 and again from 2012. She also served as the first Director of the Disney/SBA National Entrepreneur Center (now called National Entrepreneur Center) in Orlando for SBA from 2003-2005. The NFDO team celebrated Debbie's accomplishments, and wished her well at her retirement party on March 11. |
We wish Debbie Brown, SBA North Florida Deputy District Director, the best in her retirement. She has been an amazing colleague and will be missed by the SBA team as well as the small business community across North Florida. | |  |
 | | South Florida DistrictFrancisco "Pancho" Marrero, District DirectorOpening ceremonies of our new Women's Business Center (WBC) made headlines in Orlando, Fla., on March 12. Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) opened another WBC location in downtown Orlando, made possible through a $750,000 grant from SBA. The new center extends SBA's reach to women entrepreneurs and business owners in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Volusia and Seminole counties. SBA South Florida signed a new partnership with Miami Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce on March 17. The ceremony followed a panel discussion on government contracting that included SBA Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations Eugene Cornelius. Cornelius discussed SBA's initiatives with LGBT business owners and recent co-sponsorship with National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Miami will the third stop for SBA's Millennial Entrepreneurs Road Show on Apr. 10. This national tour is designed to inspire college students and young adults to consider entrepreneurship and raise awareness of resources available. Miami Dade College will host the day's events. With National Small Business Week around the corner, Miami was chosen to be the kick-off city for the agency's week-long celebration. We look forward to supporting the events and recognizing the winners of our 2015 Small Business Awards. |
 | | Georgia DistrictTerri Denison, District DirectorThe Georgia District will be providing a series of workshops on small business topics as part of Congressman David Scott's annual Jobs Fair at the Georgia International Convention Center on April 24. This is the 12th annual jobs fair event hosted by the Congressman. SBA has traditionally participate as a vendor, but after a series of meetings with Congressman Scott and his staff, the district was invited to provide entrepreneurial training to complement the event. In excess of 15,000 attendees are expected for the jobs fair. |
 | | Kentucky DistrictRalph Ross, District DirectorThe Kentucky District Office is pleased to announce the arrival of our new Lender Relations Specialist, Heather Hairgrove. Heather will work closely with LRS Dana Winston in supporting SBA lenders across Kentucky and providing training to our lender network in the Commonwealth. Born in Louisville, KY, Heather began her career in government service with the Kentucky Housing Corporation in 1999. She left state government and began her federal career in 2007 at HUD, where she has worked for the past 7+ years. Heather and her husband Tony have two daughters, Abby (age 8) and Chloe (age 3). We welcome Heather and are excited to have her as a part of the SBA Kentucky District Office team.
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 | | Mississippi DistrictJanita Stewart, District DirectorOn March 4th, Mississippi SBA District Office personnel participated in the 2nd Annual Employability Job Fair at the MS Agriculture & Forestry Museum Forestry Building in Jackson, MS. This effort, put forth by the Governor's Job Fair Network, is a proactive employment assistance resource specifically for the unemployed who have physical challenges. SBA personnel were available to assist attendees who may have an interest in starting a business or have a business and are seeking counseling, finance or other resources to grow the business.
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SBA Lender Relations Specialists Rosetta Harris and Deborah Dean assisting attendees of 2nd Annual Employability Job Fair, Jackson, MS | |  |
Welcome New Microlender & Community Advantage Lender: On March 16, personnel from SBA's Mississippi and Tennessee District offices joined Janie Barrera, President and CEO of LiftFund (formerly known as Accion Tennessee) in unveiling its new name and logo at their office in Memphis, TN. LiftFund is a SBA Microlender operating throughout several states as well as a Community Advantage Lender. SBA looks forward to LiftFund providing more loans in Mississippi and Tennessee. Pictured left to right are: Gary Reed, Mississippi Deputy Director, Rhonda Fisher, Mississippi Supervisory Lender Relations Specialist, Lisa Riley, LiftFund Vice President Delta Region, Janie Barrera, LiftFund President and CEO, Janita Stewart, Mississippi District Director, and Walter Perry, Tennessee District Director. | |  |
 | | North Carolina DistrictLynn Douthett, District DirectorThe NC District office honored the top SBA lenders in the state during the SBA North Carolina Lenders Conference & Awards Luncheon on March 5th. The North Carolina Small Business & Technology Development Center hosted the event at the Marriott Greensboro Downtown.
The NC District office honored the top SBA lenders in the state during the SBA North Carolina Lenders Conference & Awards Luncheon on March 5th. The North Carolina Small Business & Technology Development Center hosted the event at the Marriott Greensboro Downtown.
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 Accepting on behalf of their organizations from left to right: Karen Borkowski, BB&T, 2014 504 Bank Lender of the Year (tie);Brenda Bowers, Yadkin Bank, 2014 Export Lender of the Year and 2014 504 BankLender of the Year (tied with BB&T); John Canosa, Surrey Bank, 2014 Community Bank Lender of the Year; Elaine Fairman, BEFCOR, 2014 CDC of the Year; Brett Atkins, Wells Fargo, 2014 Lender of the Year; NC District Director Lynn Douthett.  | | SBA 7(a) Policy Chief Dianna Seaborn was the featured speaker at the conference. Dianna gave a demonstration of SBA One, the new, streamlined loan processing platform for lenders. |
SBA District Director Lynn Douthett introduces Dianna Seaborn (seated).  | | SBA Deputy District Director Mike Arriola (right) leads a 504 panel with Bob Kendrick (left) from Avista Business Development Corporation and Guy Williams of Neuse River Development Authority (center). Also participating were Elaine Fairman of BEFCOR and Charlie Cleary from Self-Help Ventures Fund. |
 | | South Carolina DistrictElliott Cooper, District DirectorOn September 30, 2014, the SBA's South Carolina District Office—along with the Georgia and North Carolina District Offices—entered into a strategic alliance with the Greater Women's Business Council (GWBC). Headquartered in Atlanta, the GWBC is a non-profit organization that provides certification and development resources for certified women business enterprises (WBEs) throughout Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Through its various strategic alliances, the South Carolina District Office seeks to better reach and serve historically underserved sectors in the Palmetto State, including minority-owned and rural businesses. Now through its alliance with the GWBC, the Office can target women-owned businesses to help them better access development opportunities. Already, GWBC and the South Carolina District Office have been working to better serve the Palmetto State's women entrepreneurs. Currently, the District Office is collaborating with both GWBC's Charlotte satellite office and with strategic ally Benedict College--a historically black college in Columbia, S.C.—to develop an incubator space specifically for woman-owned businesses. And on April 9, the South Carolina District Office will participate alongside the GWBC in the 2015 BMW Tier 1 Supplier Diversity Matchmaker Conference in Greenville, S.C. "We are very excited to be teaming with the GWBC to help greater numbers of talented women reach their full entrepreneurial potential," says SBA South Carolina Deputy District Director Gregg White. "This in turn will help our state to better reach its full economic potential."
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 | | Tennessee DistrictWalter Perry, District DirectorThe SBA Emerging Leaders initiative has expanded in Tennessee to include Nashville as well as Memphis. More than 100 small businesses have already "graduated" over the seven years of Emerging Leaders in Memphis. Recruitment sessions were held in both cities on March 16th and 17th. The Tennessee District Office was invited to present an SBA Loans and Programs workshop at Fisk University in Nashville during the historic HBCU's annual Business Week on Friday March 20th. The District will participate in "Go-DBE" an expo for Tennessee-based minority, women, service-disabled veteran owned and small business enterprises on March 26th, sponsored by the Tennessee Governor's Office of Diversity Business Enterprise. Also on that day, District Director Walter Perry and the Executive Director of Nashville's new Pathway Women's Business Center, will appear on "The Money Show" on WFSK Radio in Nashville. SBA's National Ombudsman, Brian Castro, will conduct Regulatory roundtables for bankers and Regulatory forums for the public in Knoxville and in Nashville on March 31 and April 1. |
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