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   Janet Roderick, Executive Director of the Arkansas Small Business Development Center program, announced Nov. 21 that Kathryn Peacock, Center Director of the UAM Small Business Development Center located on the McGehee campus, has successfully completed the Certified Business Advisor® (CBA) Program.  

   The ASBDC, an outreach unit of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s College of Business in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, is the state’s premier small business service provider and delivers consulting, training and research services to approximately 10,000 Arkansans annually via a network of seven university-based offices strategically located throughout the state. All ASBDC Business Consultants and Training Coordinators who provide services to small business owners and managers must be certified through this program.  

    “Certification is a critical component in assuring that Arkansas small businesses receive the highest quality support, training and business consulting available to them,” Roderick said. “ASBDC staff members bring special skills in assisting small businesses, and the CBA distinction identifies those who have been trained at the highest professional standards.”

   The CBA program trains SBDC staff nationally to achieve competency in effective consulting and business skills through graduate-level courses and exams in accounting/financial analysis, marketing and human resource management. The University of Toledo is the third party university that independently conducts the courses and testing, thereby validating its objectivity and integrity.      

   The CBA Program is beneficial for ASBDC staff who advise and train potential and existing entrepreneurs because it reaffirms the person’s knowledge in business basics and establishes a baseline for continuity and consistency in service delivery regardless of location. Additionally, ASBDC staff must have 36 hours of continuing education annually on small business-related topics to maintain their certification. The CBA Program engages in a continuous goal setting process to ensure the skills required to meet ongoing business development needs are maintained. 

   The CBA Program also meets the criteria for professional development certification training as set forth in standards required by the Small Business Administration and the national Association of Small Business Development Centers.  

   CBA graduates by ASBDC location are:    

·        UALR Lead Center SBDC:
Mildred Holley, Phil Harris, Heather Robinette, Jennifer Bonds and Allen Stanley

·        Arkansas State University SBDC:
Herb Lawrence, Laura Miller and Susan Glasgow

·        Henderson State University SBDC:
Lonnie Jackson, Michael Singleton and Jwan Baughn

·        Southern Arkansas University SBDC:
Paul Considine and Felecia Bozeman

·        University of Arkansas, Fayetteville:
Tracey Jeffers and Jessica Breaux

·        University of Arkansas – Fort Smith:
Vonelle Vanzant and Tabitha Dunbar

·        University of Arkansas at Monticello, College of Technology-McGehee:
Kathryn Peacock 

   The UAM SBDC is a resource partner of the Pine Bluff Entrepreneurial Collaborative and SCORE. It serves Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Cleveland, Desha, Drew, Jefferson and Lincoln counties. For more information on ASBDC services call 870-222-4900 (in southeast Arkansas) or visit www.uamont.edu/mcgehee/sbdc.htm or http://asbdc.ualr.edu.  

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