WASHINGTON, March 12, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This morning, Small Business Majority, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) and hundreds of entrepreneurs and small business leaders, sent the U.S. Senate a letter urging lawmakers to confirm Maria Contreras-Sweet as the next administrator of the Small Business Administration. The petition, signed by more than 700 small business owners and organizations, urges lawmakers to confirm Maria Contreras-Sweet now so she can begin her work supporting small businesses and promoting a strong economy.
Contreras-Sweet is a proven champion of small businesses and her diverse background working to expand access to capital, encourage investment and promote job creation in the government, non-profit and private sectors will be a critical asset for her new role as SBA administrator, especially during these difficult economic times.
As chairwoman of ProAmérica Bank, Contreras-Sweet worked to help entrepreneurs access credit and financial services, empowering them to build successful small and mid-sized businesses. Small Business Majority's scientific opinion polling shows small business owners need capital to grow and hire, but getting it is extremely difficult. Ms. Contreras-Sweet's experience in this field will be crucial to helping mitigate this problem.
"Contreras-Sweet has shown she understands the link between small employers and our overall fiscal success, and we're pleased she'll be spearheading the SBA's policies," said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. "The small business community is ready for Contreras-Sweet's leadership, and we encourage lawmakers to move forward with her confirmation now. We look forward to working with her on bolstering small business and promoting a strong economy."
"Maria Contreras-Sweet's nomination should be confirmed by the Senate before it leaves Washington for recess at the end of this week," said USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez. "Ms. Contreras-Sweet's track record of working with both the public and private sectors gives her tremendous insight in serving our nation's small business community. Furthermore, Contreras-Sweet's experience in fostering the growth of minority-owned businesses is vital for increasing access to capital, supporting small business in federal contracting, and providing relevant trainings to this substantial entrepreneurial segment."
About Small Business Majority
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners, to support America's 28 million small businesses. We conduct extensive opinion and economic research and work with our rapidly growing network of small business owners across the country to ensure their voices are an integral part of the public policy debate. Learn more about us on Wikipedia and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About the USHCC
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of our nation's entrepreneurs. The USHCC advocates on behalf of nearly 3.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses, that together contribute in excess of $468 billion to the American economy, each year. As the leading organization of its kind, the USHCC serves as an umbrella to more than 200 local chambers and business associations across the nation, and partners with more than 220 major corporations.
For more information, visit www.ushcc.com
Follow us on Twitter @USHCC
Valentina Pereda USHCC Director of Communications 202-489-2932
