(SANTA FE, NM)—The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services (NMDVS) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will sign a renewal of a Strategic Alliance Memorandum at a signing ceremony on Wednesday March 17th at the NMDVS Main office in Santa Fe’s Bataan Memorial Building.
Signing the agreement at the 10:30am ceremony will be NMDVS Cabinet Secretary John Garcia, New Mexico SBA New Mexico District Director John C. Woosley and SBA Region Administrator Yolanda Garcia Olivarez.
“With this renewed partnership we will work together with the NMDVS to expand SBA services to the Veteran and small business community,” said SBA Director Woosley. “We celebrate the continuing strong relationship that SBA has with the New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services with the joint signing of the agreement.”
The two agencies both strive to serve veterans who own a small business, or would like to start one. The SBA was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, and assist in all phases of business operations.
The NMDVS was elevated from a state commission to a full cabinet agency in 2003 to assist veterans in New Mexico and their dependents with their veteran benefits and services needs.
One such service by the department is helping current and prospective veteran-owned businesses through its Veteran Business Resource Center. Created in 2008, it was the first center in the nation designed solely for assisting veterans. The center can get help them with business planning, marketing, and assistance with applying for low-interest veterans’ Patriot Express and other business loans through the SBA.
“Renewing this agreement ensures that our two agencies will continue to work together to serve New Mexico’s veteran-owned small businesses,” said NMDVS Cabinet Secretary Garcia, who is also a member of the nine-person national SBA Veterans’ Business Advisory Board.”This strong partnership continues to be viewed by other states as a model for how two agencies should work together to serve our men and women who are looking to start or improve new careers after they’ve served our country.”
The NMDVS estimates that one out of every seven small businesses in New Mexico—or about 22,000-- is a veteran-owned business.
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