I’ve been the State Director for the Alaska SBDC for almost nine years and have written more intros to our newsletters than I care to count.
No matter how many times I do it, it’s never easy, and our amazing Comms Director, Harley, inevitably needs to harass me into getting something in just before the deadline.
But as hard as those past intros were to write, this is by far the hardest because it will be my last.
I have decided to leave my position as State Director of the Alaska SBDC at the end of this month to take on a new role. This was by no means an easy choice, as my time at the Alaska SBDC has been some of the most personally and professionally fulfilling years of my life.
However, there comes a time in any organization when change at the top is the only way to ensure continued innovation and growth.
As my last day here draws nearer, I look back in awe at what this team has accomplished. We went from Alaska’s “best kept secret” with 12 staff and a limited number of programs to being one of the top business development programs in the nation with over 30 staff and around a dozen programs for Alaska’s small businesses.
We’ve developed new tools and methods for assisting rural businesses that dozens of states have replicated. We’re a national leader in deploying SSBCI capital funds to small businesses and created the largest Tribal SSBCI consortium in the nation with 125 of Alaska’s federally recognized tribes.
Our efforts to help businesses weather the economic storms of COVID-19 and various natural disasters over the years have allowed us to prove our effectiveness and worth to policymakers and business owners at every level. Our partnerships with federal, state, and local government agencies have grown by leaps and bounds over the years, but we have also engaged more private sector partners than ever before.
These successes have led us to help tens of thousands of businesses start, grow, and thrive over the last nine years, giving us KPIs on a much larger scale.
The good news is that all of these successes were due to the fantastic team we’ve built over the years, which means that the program will continue to grow and thrive long after I leave. Kendra Conroy, Gretchen Fauske, and Jay Halverson have been the best co-leaders any executive could ask for. Their hard work and help have made all of the program growth possible.
Harley Hedlund and her communications team (Dante & Sami Jo) have used digital platforms and media know-how to move the Alaska SBDC from an unknown entity to a nationally known organization through their talent and innovation.
The SBDC Center Directors and Advisors (Cliff, Misty, Jade, Angie, Ruth, Sandy, Ginny, Trish, Robert, KellyAnn, Kristi, Katie, Pascual) have built an amazing team that have helped more businesses each year than any other two development programs combined.
The SSBCI team (Aurora, Dawn, Viola, Genta, Geoff & Casey) has turned our SSBCI capital and technical assistance programs into national leaders in deployment and effectiveness.
Under the leadership of Carlos Machuca and Solomon, we’ve become a national leader in Generative AI, providing guidance and training to 47 other state SBDCs and other organizations across the nation. Last but certainly not least, our State office staff (Frances and MaryAnne) are exceptional and have helped drive the Alaska SBDC to new heights of success.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my time here, it’s that being a manager is easy when your entire team is made up of high-performing rockstars. I can’t express how much I will miss this organization, the clients we help, the programs and people we partner with every day, and the community leaders who have supported us through thick and thin over the years. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve all of you over the years, and I look forward to seeing how the organization continues to grow.
In the meantime, I hope that all of you continue to work with the Alaska SBDC to help your businesses start, grow, and thrive. If you’re interested in reaching out to me in the future, go ahead and email me at jonsbittner@gmail.com. I may not be with the SBDC anymore, but I’m always excited to help Alaska’s small businesses in any way I can.
Thank you all for the amazing experience and opportunity.
