Linda Rossi, state director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center, has been elected to a second term as board chair of America's SBDC, the association that represents the country's 63 small business development centers.
“I am so honored to be elected for a second term,” Rossi said. “This board achieved many objectives during the past year, including the restructuring the national association’s financial model to ensure long-term sustainability and growth. I am looking forward to another incredible year to serve in this role to continue to adopt novel concepts and deploy new approaches to proactively meet current and future business and stakeholder needs.”
As director of the Vermont Small Business Development Center since 2013, Rossi has led her high-performing team to provide no-fee, one-to-one confidential advising, market-demanded training and a vast array of digital and in-person resources that have inspired thousands of business owners, startups and student entrepreneurs who now thrive in the Vermont marketplace and serve their customers with pride and quality.
Prior to her tenure at VtSBDC, Rossi spent 20 years in the private sector as a national project manager for IBM and as a business manager for four startup and growing small businesses. She also served as an adjunct faculty member in higher education and as treasurer and founding board member of a nonprofit organization.
SBDCs are hosted by leading universities, colleges, state economic development agencies and private partners and funded in part by Congress through a partnership with the US Small Business Administration. Vermont SBDC is funded in part by the SBA and the Vermont Agency of Commerce.