Small Business Administration

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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

409 Third Street SW., Washington, DC 20416

Phone, 202-205-6600. Fax, 202-205-7064. Internet, www.sba.gov.

ADMINISTRATOR Karen Mills

Deputy Administrator (vacancy)

Chief Counsel for Advocacy Shawne McGibbon, Acting

Chief Financial Officer (vacancy)

Chief Information Officer Christine Rider

Chief of Staff Ana Ma

Counselor to the Administrator Ginger Lew

General Counsel Sara Lipscomb

Inspector General Peter McClintock, Acting

Associate Administrator for Disaster Assistance Herbert Mitchell

Associate Administrator for Communications and Jonathan Carver

Public Liaison

Assistant Administrator for Congressional and Tiffani Cooper, Acting

Legislative Affairs

Assistant Administrator for Equal Employment Margareth Bennett

Opportunity and Civil Rights Compliance

Associate Administrator for Field Operations Toby McGrath

Assistant Administrator for Hearings and Appeals Delorice Ford

Assistant Administrator for Veterans Business William Elmore

Development

Associate Administrator for Capital Access Eric Zarnikow

Director of Financial Assistance Grady Hedgespeth

Director of International Trade Luz Hopewell

Director of Investment (vacancy)

Director of Surety Guarantees Frank Lalumiere

Assistant Administrator for Native American Holly Schick, Acting

Affairs

Associate Deputy Administrator for Penny Pickett

Entrepreneurial Development

Director of Business and Community Initiatives Ellen M. Thrasher

Director of Small Business Development Centers Antonio Doss

Director of Women's Business Ownership (vacancy)

Associate Administrator for Government Joseph Jordan

Contracting and Business Development

Director of Government Contracting Karen Hontz

Director of Business Development Joseph Loddo

Director of HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Guy Torres

Associate Administrator for Management and Darryl Hairston

Administration

Director of Business Operations Ajoy Sinha, Acting

Chief Human Capital Officer Napoleon Avery

Director of Executive Secretariat Kim Bradley

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The Small Business Administration aids, counsels, assists, and protects the interests of small business; ensures that small business concerns receive a fair portion of Government purchases, contracts, and subcontracts, as well as of the sales of Government property; makes loans to small business concerns, State and local development companies, and the victims of floods or other catastrophes, or of certain types of economic injury; and licenses, regulates, and makes loans to small business investment companies.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) was created by the Small Business Act of 1953 and derives its present existence and authority from the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 661).

Activities

Advocacy The Office of Advocacy is mandated by Congress to serve as an independent voice within the Federal Government for the approximately

27.2 million small businesses throughout the country. The Office is headed by the Chief Counsel for Advocacy, appointed by the President from the private sector with the advice and consent of the Senate, who advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before the Congress, the White House, and Federal and State regulatory agencies.

The Office monitors and reports annually on Federal agency compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), which requires agencies to analyze the impact of their regulations on small businesses and consider less burdensome alternatives. Small entities include small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and governmental jurisdictions. Executive Order 13272 requires Federal agencies to take the Office's comments into consideration before proposed regulations are finalized and requires the Office to train Federal agencies on RFA compliance.

The Office is one of the leading national sources for information on the state of small business and the issues that affect small business success and growth. It conducts economic and statistical research into matters affecting the competitive strength of small business and jobs created by small business, and analyzes the impact of Federal laws, regulations, and programs on small businesses, making recommendations to policymakers for appropriate adjustments to meet the special needs of small business.

Additionally, regional advocates enhance communication between the small business community and the Chief Counsel. As the Chief Counsel's direct link to local business owners, State and local government agencies, State legislatures, and small business organizations, they help identify new issues and problems of small business by monitoring the effect of Federal and State regulations and policies on the

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local business communities within their regions.

For further information, contact the Office of Advocacy. Phone, 202-205-

6533. Email, advocacy@sba.gov.

Business and Community Initiatives The Office of Business and Community Initiatives (OBCI) develops and cosponsors counseling, education, training, and information resources for small businesses. It has partnered with the private sector to promote entrepreneurial development. OBCI directs the national program of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a resource partner of SBA. SCORE provides free counseling, mentoring, training seminars, and specialized assistance to veterans and active military personnel. For more information, visit www.score.org. OBCI also offers young entrepreneurs a teen business site at www.sba.gov/teens.

The Office of International Visitors briefs foreign delegations, business organizations, and international nongovernmental organizations

(NGOs) on the SBA model.

In addition to education and training events, SBA offers an online management series on business growth and sustainability at www.sba.gov/

library/pubs.

For further information, contact the Office of Business and Community Initiatives. Phone, 202-205-6665.

Capital Access The Office of the Associate Administrator for Capital Access provides overall direction for SBA's financial programs. They offer a comprehensive array of debt and equity programs for startup and expanding businesses. In addition to lending to businesses which sell their products and services domestically, the Office provides financial assistance programs for small business exporters in the form of loan programs and technical assistance. The Office also oversees a surety bond guarantee program for small business contractors and SBA's lender oversight programs.

For further information, contact the Office of Capital Access. Phone,

202-205-6657.

Disaster Assistance The Administration serves as the Federal disaster bank for nonfarm, private sector losses. It lends money to help the victims of disasters repair or replace most disaster-damaged property. Direct loans with subsidized interest rates are made to assist individuals, homeowners, businesses of all sizes, and nonprofit organizations.

For further information, contact the Office of Disaster Assistance. Phone, 202-205-6734.

Financial Assistance SBA provides its guarantee to lending institutions and certified development companies which make loans to small-business concerns, which in turn use the loans for working capital and financing the acquisition of land and buildings; the construction, conversion, or expansion of facilities; and the purchase of machinery and equipment.

The Administration also provides small-scale financial and technical assistance to very small businesses through loans and grants to nonprofit organizations that act as intermediaries under SBA's microloan program.

For further information, contact the nearest Small Business Administration district office (listed at the end of this entry).

Government Contracting and Policy, Planning and Liaison SBA helps small businesses, including small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, HUBZone-certified firms, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses obtain a fair share of Government procurement through a variety of programs and services. The contracting liaison helps small businesses secure an equitable share of natural resources sold by the Federal Government. It works closely with Federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget to establish policy and regulations concerning small business access to Government contracts. It assists in the formulation of small business procurement policies as they relate to size standards, the Small Business Innovation Research Program,

and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

For further information, contact the nearest Office of Government Contracting or visit our Web site. Phone, 202-205-6459. Internet, www.sba.gov/GC/indexcontacts.html.

International Trade The Office of International Trade (OIT) supports small business access to export markets and participates in broader U.S. Government activities related to trade policy and international commercial affairs to encourage an environment of trade and international economic policies favorable to small businesses. These activities are designed to facilitate both entrance and growth into the international marketplace, including educational initiatives, technical assistance programs and services, and risk management and trade finance products.

SBA's export promotion activities for small business combine financial...