Archived copy: Everett Woodel Jr. Selected to Lead SBA’s Columbus District

COLUMBUS – The U.S. Small Business Administration has selected Everett M. Woodel Jr. to be the district director of its Columbus District Office. In this role, he will manage the strategic efforts and daily operations of SBA’s activities throughout 60 counties in central and southern Ohio, including the Dayton and Cincinnati metropolitan areas.

“Ohio’s small business climate is thriving and Columbus is one of the country’s top cities for startup activity,” SBA Great Lakes Regional Administrator Rob Scott said. “As someone with several years of experience in the private and public sectors, Everett has the knowledge and strong leadership needed to engage the area’s entrepreneurs and support economic development in the state.”

Woodel joins the SBA after serving as the Ohio regional director of VEIC, a sustainable energy company based in Vermont. Prior to VEIC, he worked for the State of Ohio as the director of public affairs and financial literacy and as the director of operations. He also has worked for the U.S. House of Representatives in various senior-level positions and is a U.S. Army veteran. Woodel holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Ohio University.

“Small businesses are the economic fabric of our communities, both urban and rural, and create two out of every three jobs,” Woodel said. “I look forward to continuing their growth and expansion here in Ohio and reinforcing that the SBA can help entrepreneurs start and expand more easily with assistance at every part of their business cycles.”

SBA’s Columbus District is one of 68 offices across the nation that work to ensure entrepreneurs and small business owners have access to capital, counseling and contracting resources to start, grow, expand and recover. In fiscal year 2018, the district guaranteed more than $589 million in small business loans throughout central and southern Ohio, contributing to job creation and economic development.