Ready and anxious, Kelly A. Hunt recently appointed District Director for the Pittsburgh District Office of the Small Business Administration is set and prepared to move forward.
“I want to build the entrepreneur culture and help businesses in this region grow and be successful,” Hunt said during her swearing in ceremony. Her responsibilities will include overseeing the delivery and leadership of the SBA’s financial and business development programs throughout 27 counties in western Pennsylvania.
With only two years remaining in President Obama’s administration and with the new administrator, Maria Contreras-Sweet’s pushing for the SBA to be smart, bold and assessable, while introducing Hunt; Natalia Olson-Urtecho shared the national plan for the local SBA office to follow.
“Being assessable is important as we continue to work closely with our partners and making sure we serve the underserved and non-traditional,” Olson-Urtecho, SBA’s mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator pointed out.
She also identified the local Marcellus Shale and natural gas industry as offering tremendous potential in the region and preparing and developing the capacity of small businesses to be exposed to exporting opportunities as focus points.
Internally Olson-Urtecho said the plan is to modernize their technology capabilities to assure that their reporting systems are online and that the partners understand the new initiatives and processes.
Up for the challenge, Hunt on her first day on the job outlined her agenda as getting to know the Pittsburgh SBA team, to utilize their passion, expertise and resources to the fullest and to begin building and expanding on what the former Pittsburgh District Director Carl Knoblock started.
One of her main goals is to reach out into the community and go after people that aren’t small businesses but have an idea. Linking them to the training, resources, counseling and or mentoring needed to get their idea shaped into a business. Getting potential entrepreneurs face time with the appropriate people that can assist them she says is essential.
“We have to step up our game to provide the best in customer service. We might not be the answer to help everyone but having our fingers on the pulse and knowing what is going on in the area, knowing where to send them, having partners and relationships are important,” she said.
Hunt, a Washington County native is bringing her experience as director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Center and Student Incubator at California University of Pennsylvania, projects she is credited as creating and spearheading to the district director position.
She spent five years as a Development Specialist at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission where she implemented community and economic development initiatives throughout the nine-county region. Her work experience also includes curriculum development and instruction, having taught numerous undergraduate and non-credit courses in leadership, management, and business. She has also presented workshops on topics such as strategic planning, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
A veteran of the United States Air Force, Hunt served as a Security Policeman for more than nine years. While on active duty, she began pursuing her education and obtained a B.S. in Computer Information Systems Management. Shortly thereafter, she went on to complete her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction. Recently she finished the coursework for her doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership and is currently completing her dissertation on Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation.
As an experienced entrepreneur, Hunt co-owner of a car dealership and former restaurant owner says she knows and understands what it is like to manage a full-time job, a family life and operate a business. Her hands-on experience in starting and operating businesses in the state helps her relate to what the people she is aiming to provide assist to experiences.
Committed to the SBA mission of helping small businesses, and excited to have Hunt as part of her team,
Olson-Urtecho believes Hunt will flourish as a catalyst for business development in Western Pennsylvania. “She brings leadership, entrepreneurship and interpersonal communication skills to a region that is rich in resources, education and strong work ethics,” she said. “Pittsburgh often is showcased by national and international news media outlets for its many success stories and I expect that trend to continue under District Director Hunt.”
With the motto of helping small businesses start, grow and succeed, the SBA for more than 60 years has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions and other forms of assistance to small businesses.
The SBA’s current focus is providing access to capital; counseling and contracting support for its clients. Designed to provide assistance in helping small businesses start and grow the SBA functions in all 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam. The local office is located at 411 Seventh Avenue in Suite 1450.
