Conference and Visits in Washington

REAP Co-Directors Jeff Reynolds of Plymouth and Glennis McClure of Blue Springs recently visited Washington DC. They spent a day on Capitol Hill, meeting with the Nebraska congressional delegation and their staff regarding legislative support of rural small business including the Small Business Administration Microloan Program and the Women’s Business Center program.

While in DC they attended the Post Awards Training Conference for Women’s Business Centers and attended meetings and a reception held in the Capitol by the Association of Women’s Business Centers.

Glennis McClure, REAP Women’s Business Center Director, was a presenter at the SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership Post Awards conference. She joined Laura Sanzel, project coordinator of the Local Development Corporation of East New York, and Julann Jatczak, Vice-President of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation to present information to other Women’s Business Center executives on the topic of building allies and alliances. Glennis shared REAP’s story including information on current partnerships like the new HomeTown Competitiveness collaborative with various organizations across Nebraska.

Across the nation, there are 102 SBA-funded Women’s Business Centers. REAP operates the only Women’s Business Center in Nebraska, which is just beginning its fifth year. The REAP Women’s Business Center provides startup and existing rural businesses with training, technical assistance, and access to small business loans.