Radio One founder Catherine Hughes was recently appointed to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Council on Underserved Communities (CUC). Hughes was one of 15 appointees selected.
Building on SBA’s core programs and Recovery initiatives, the CUC will provide input, advice and recommendations on strategies to help strengthen competitiveness and sustainability for small businesses in underserved communities. These strategies will be focused on increasing entrepreneurship and technical assistance, creating new and strengthening existing outreach and training, and raising awareness in underserved communities of SBA programs and services.
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The CUC is chaired by Catherine Hughes, founder and chairperson of Radio One and TV One, and will have 20 members who represent a diverse range of backgrounds and geographic areas.
“One of SBA’s core missions is to support small businesses in traditionally underserved communities, including minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities and in rural areas,” SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns said. “The Council on Underserved Communities will provide valuable insight and advice into how we can ensure that small businesses in these communities throughout the country have access to the tools they need to grow, create jobs and win the future.”
The CUC’s first meeting will be held in July, in Washington, DC. Before the first meeting, members of the CUC will hold listening sessions in their regions to hear from small business owners and members of the community about what they need from the SBA.“Thirty years ago, I grew my business with the help of an SBA loan,” said Hughes. “Now I’m so pleased to be chairing the Council on Underserved Communities and help entrepreneurs in communities across the country take advantage of those same opportunities for success.”
The CUC is part of the SBA’s ongoing efforts to expand its reach into underserved communities. While the nation’s economic recovery is moving forward, that recovery has been uneven, particularly for socially, economically and geographically disadvantaged small business owners. To help SBA better address the challenges facing small business owners, the CUC will meet regularly and advise SBA on ways to increase access to capital and promote sustainability, growth, and job creation.
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The 15 newly appointed members of the Council on Underserved Communities are:
Hassell McClellan, associate professor – Operations & Strategic Management Department, Carroll School of Management. Dr. Hassell McClellan is an associate professor and former associate dean of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. He has previously worked in corporate banking with Harris Trust in Chicago and as a faculty member at the Harvard Business School. McClellan’s specialties include strategic management and global competitiveness. He is the author of several case studies, as well as a book on the banking industry, Managing One-bank Holding Companies.
Dasil “Das” Elius Velez, Senior Executive with the New York State Empire State Development Corporation. Das Velez is currently serving in New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration with the Empire State Development Corporation as the executive director of Minority and Women Business Development. Prior to Velez’s appointment, he served as senior advisor to Gov. David A. Paterson. He has also held a number of executive positions in public service sector and was a founding partner of Carro, Velez, Carro and Mitchell LLP, which became New York City’s largest Latino law firm.
B. Doyle Mitchell Jr, President and CEO, Industrial Bank. B. Doyle Mitchell Jr. serves as president and CEO of Industrial Bank in Washington, D.C. Mitchell is chairman of the National Bankers Association and the D.C. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. He serves as a board member for the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable, the Council for Court Excellence, the Minbanc Foundation and the Sewell Music Conservatory.
Eric Collins, COO, Mobile Posse. Eric Collins, COO of Mobile Posse in McLean, Va, is a veteran of the mobile software industry. Prior to his work at Mobile Posse, Collins led the Tegic business unit for Nuance Communications. Eric also headed marketing for Nuance’s Mobile Division. Following law school, Eric worked as a strategy consultant for technology and entertainment companies before launching a career in mobile technology at AOL.
Derek Hyra, associate professor of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech. Derek S. Hyra is an associate professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on inner city economic development, with an emphasis on national housing policy, urban politics, affordable housing and small business finance, poverty, and race. Hyra previously worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, assessing affordable housing and small business lending programs, and at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, examining the community-level impact of national urban legislation. He currently serves as the vice chairman of the board of commissioners for the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
Ron Busby Sr, president, U.S. Black Chamber, Inc. Ron Busby Sr. is the leader of the United States Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Prior to coming to Washington, D.C., he was the president of the Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce, and served as the president of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area (Oakland, Calif.). Recognized as one of the country’s best CEOs, Busby grew his first business, USA Super Clean, from $150,000 annual revenue to over $15 million per year. He has served as co-chair of the XL II Super Bowl Host Committee and on the board of directors of the Arizona Governor’s African American Leadership Council.
You may read the remainder of the council members by visiting: http://www.sba.gov/news
