Mercilynn Kaneshi Palec, CNMI SBDCN associate network director; Nadine Deleon Guerrero, CNMI SBDC network director; Kenneth Lujan, SBA Guam branch manager; Charmaine Hofschneider, CNMI SBDCN administrative office manager; and Roman Tudela, CNMI SBDCN marketing manager/outreach specialist.
(NMC) — The CNMI Small Business Development Center at Northern Marianas College was recently recognized for its important role in fostering entrepreneurship, supporting local businesses, and driving economic growth across the local business community by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Kenneth Lujan, the Guam branch manager of the U.S. Small Business Administration, commended CNMI SBDC for their dedication during a site visit that occurred last week.
“The CNMI Small Business Development Center has played a major role in the economic stability of the CNMI through its counseling and training services,” Lujan said. “To effectively deliver such services and programs to the community requires a concerted effort from its staff, stakeholders, and host [Northern Marianas College].”
“Maintaining and meeting the compliance requirements imposed by the Small Business Administration assures the community of the high quality level of services being provided as well as upholding the integrity of the program. I look forward to the continued improvements and development of new programs suitable for the island’s small business community,” Lujan added.
The SBA site visit focused on the following areas: goals and milestones (unique clients served, jobs supported, new businesses started, and capital infusion), administrative processes, the network’s effectiveness in collaborating with federal, state, and local business assistance programs to serve small businesses, and creative solutions in addressing unique challenges to the region.
“Small businesses are truly the backbone of every economy,” SBDC Network Director Nadine Deleon Guerrero said. “We are grateful for this acknowledgment and remain steadfast in our mission to provide high-quality services while continuously improving and developing new programs to empower our island’s small business community.”
The CNMI SBDC Network promotes a business-friendly economic infrastructure in the community, builds entrepreneurial capacity and financial literacy within that community, and provides current and nascent small businesses with the technical assistance, counseling, training, and support they need to innovate, adapt, and grow.
The CNMI Small Business Development Center Network Network comprises the CNMI SBDC lead center in Saipan, the Rota SBDC, and Tinian SBDC.
CNMI SBDC Network is partially funded by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Northern Marianas College.
