April 7, 2013

SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Mounting support for U. S. Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Marie Johns to be appointed as top leader of the agency is now knocking at the front door of the White House.

An April 4 letter bearing the signatures of at least 80 Black business and civil rights organizations, representing nearly 30 million small businesses, was sent to the Presidential Personnel Office in support of the appointment. Hope for the selection of Johns is said to be based on her established record of work for inclusion of Black and other minority-owned businesses which have been hit hardest during the economic downturn.

“On behalf of the 27.5 million small businesses and several national civil and human rights groups across the country, our collective organizations…are writing in support of the current Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Marie Johns, being nominated for the position of Administrator of the SBA,” states the letter, penned by Ron Busby, president of the U. S. Black Chamber of Commerce. “During her tenure as SBA Deputy Administrator, Marie Johns has been instrumental in strengthening America’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by increasing global competitiveness and strategic alliances among small businesses, specifically within communities of color.”

Among the organizations listed on the letter is the National Bankers Association, which recently gave Johns its “Beyond the Call of Duty” award. Also listed in support are the National Urban League, the NAACP, the National Association of Minority Contracting, the National Association for Black Veterans, the National 8(a) Association and dozens of Black chambers of commerce around the nation.

President Obama was recently criticized by Congressional Black Caucus Chair Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), among others, for his lack of Black appointments so far given that Black voters have proven to be his most faithful constituents. Fudge subsequently tamped down her criticism, saying she is more confident after a conversation with the White House and would take a wait and see approach. President Obama has yet to appoint an African-American to his cabinet or to a major agency leadership position in his second term. Attorney General Eric Holder, appointed in 2009, is now the only African-American cabinet member.

Meanwhile, with the nation’s economic woes and joblessness disparately impacting African-Americans and Latinos, some Black leaders see the SBA as a good place to start. Though Black joblessness has slowly subsided over the past year, it remains in double digits and remains twice that of White unemployment which is constantly below the national average. Economic experts, including Johns, have stressed that small business growth is the single greatest engine of the economy.

The letter credits Johns with major progress in five key areas. They are:

• Advocacy: In part, the letter describes her as “one of the strongest advocates in the federal government for small businesses overall, as well as for small businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities.”
• Access to Capital: In part, it credits her as having led process improvements for the Community Loan Advantage and 7(a) Loan Programs as well as assisted Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) as well as women and minority-owned Banking Institutions in becoming SBA Lenders.
• Contracting: She is, in part, credited with streamlining the request for proposals process by “reducing the amount of paperwork required to do business with the federal government”.
• Entrepreneur Training: The letter states that SBA District Offices, SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, U.S. Export Assistance Centers, Veteran’s Business Outreach Centers, the Procurement & Technical Assistance Center, and the E200 Emerging Leader Initiative, have maintained a wealth of resources for growing sustainable enterprises. “Marie Johns has been a champion for ensuring that these options remain present in the underserved communities that need them the most.”
• Chamber and Trade Association Development: “Thanks to introductions and connections made by Deputy Administrator Johns, organizations such as the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc., the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the National 8(a) Association, the U.S. Pan Asian American Association, the Native American Contractors Association, and the National Bankers Association, are working more closely together to secure more opportunities, capital sources, and access to new financial markets,” the letter states.

Both Johns and current Chief Administrator Karen Mills are slated to leave the administration this term. That announcement caused alarm within the minority business community, which credits Johns for her hands-on approach and sensitivity to their struggle.

“I know Marie Johns. I have great respect for Marie Johns. I think Marie Johns would make a tremendous SBA director,” said Marc Morial, president/CEO of the National Urban League.

“Naturally our collective organizations are concerned about the continuity of progress made in the small and microenterprise communities going forward,” the letter states. “Given the tangible results yielded under the leadership of Deputy Administrator Marie Johns, we strongly support her nomination to be the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.”

Morial, the convener of major civil rights organizations since Obama’s re-election, said he has “weighed in” with the Obama Administration on the general need for diversity.

“I believe that diversity in the Cabinet is important,” Morial said. “A qualified candidate like Marie Johns is a good way to approach it.”