Elizabeth Echols Sworn In As Regional Administrator Overseeing Hawaii

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Elizabeth Echols was sworn in today as the Regional Administrator for Region IX of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  She will oversee the delivery of SBA’s programs and services in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.

“Both the SBA and small businesses of the region will benefit greatly from Elizabeth’s career in public service and commitment to innovation and business development,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.  “Her background in management, technology and green business will be a tremendous asset as we continue to help drive economic growth through support for small businesses throughout the region, and in particular innovative businesses and entrepreneurs with high-growth and job creation potential.”

“The SBA is playing a critical role in our nation’s economic recovery and my number one priority will be getting small businesses the resources they need to create and retain jobs,” Echols said.  “I’m excited and honored to have the opportunity to implement the President’s plan for economic recovery and look forward to working with Administrator Mills and the talented staff throughout the region to succeed in this important mission.”

Echols most recently served as Director of the Northern California chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, where she focused on developing public policy and forging alliances to support green jobs, and furthered the development of one of the nation’s fastest growing non-profits.  Previously, she co-led the agency review process for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration during the Obama-Biden Transition Project, and served as Director of Policy for nearly four years at Google, where she managed the development and implementation of global policies for Google’s consumer and business products.

SBA’s programs have helped foster the growth of corporate icons like Intel, Apple, and FedEx.  “It’s important for all businesses, including those on Main Street and in the high-tech and green sectors to know what services the SBA offers,” Echols said.

Echols worked on Internet and telecommunications issues at the White House and the Department of Commerce under President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.  She earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Echols oversees 120 employees in 12 offices, including the California district offices in Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Santa Ana, San Diego, and Los Angeles; as well as offices in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Hagatna, Guam.

SBA has supported more than 11,000 Recovery loans in Region IX, worth nearly $6 billion.

Submitted by SBA

Comments

comments