SBA Seeking Nominees for SBA Federal Advisory Council on Underserved Communities

Subject: SBA's Council on Underserved Communities
 
SBA Friends,
 
In December,  the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the creation of a Federal Advisory Council on Underserved Communities in conjunction with the announcement it’s new Advantage Loan Initiatives.  The Council on Underserved Communities (CUC) will provide input, advice and recommendations on developing strategies to help strengthen competiveness and sustainability for small businesses in underserved communities. These strategies will be aimed at increasing entrepreneurship and technical assistance, creating outreach and training strategies, and educating underserved communities about SBA programs and services. 
 
We are nearing the end of the nomination process for the CUC. To ensure all qualified candidates are considered we wanted to again share information on the CUC and details on how to nominate a candidate. Please review the info below and share as you see best.

Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities. We ask that all nominees submit the below information and a resume or bio to underservedcouncil@sba.gov   to be considered for council membership. Nominees may be asked to submit additional information during the nomination process.
 
Full Name:
Occupation:
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Interest Area:
 
U.S. Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities
Current economic conditions have hit our country’s underserved communities inordinately hard. Socially, economically and geographically disadvantaged small business owners continue to struggle with the effects of the national recession, including barriers to capital and customer demand that would support sustainability, growth and job creation. While the nation’s economic recovery is moving forward, that recovery has been uneven particularly for small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved communities. To better address the challenges facing small business owners in traditionally underserved communities, the U.S. Small Business Administration is creating a Federal Advisory Council on Underserved Communities. 
 
Building on SBA’s core programs, as well as Recovery initiatives, the Council on Underserved Communities (CUC) will provide input, advice and recommendations on developing strategies to help strengthen competiveness and sustainability for small businesses in underserved communities. These strategies will be aimed at increasing entrepreneurship and technical assistance, creating outreach and training strategies, and educating underserved communities about SBA programs and services. 
The SBA is currently calling for nominations for members to serve on the CUC. Members will provide a critical link between SBA and small businesses in traditionally underserved communities. They will offer expertise from a variety of sectors –banking and finance, community development, nonprofit, academia –to provide advice and recommendations to the SBA Administrator and the agency as a whole on issues concerning small businesses in underserved communities, and approaches that build on existing programs, as well as potentially creating new initiatives to drive economic recovery and job creation across the country.