Statement by Carolina Martinez, CEO of CAMEO, California’s statewide micro-business network, on today’s Senate confirmation of Isabel Guzman as Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
San Francisco, March 16, 2021—Isabel Guzman’s confirmation as Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) today puts an ardent small business advocate with a strong track record at the helm of an organization that will play a crucial role in rebuilding California and the nation’s small business economy.
CAMEO has long worked with Ms. Guzman to support California’s small businesses and we have seen firsthand that she is a hardworking and effective champion for small business. Most recently, as the director of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate, Ms. Guzman spearheaded an impressive effort to deliver an unprecedented $2.5 billion in support for Golden State small businesses seeking to survive and recover from the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, Ms. Guzman was working to bolster the state’s small business ecosystem by helping develop California’s Technical Assistance Expansion Program, which strengthened entrepreneurial training and the lending partners that serve California’s underserved minority businesses.
Ms. Guzman’s experience in California and as deputy chief of staff for former SBA Administrator Maria Contreras Sweet will serve her well in this job, and the nation’s small businesses will benefit from her understanding of their issues at a time when they most need a strong champion. We are looking forward to working with her to support our small businesses.