Below you will find a complete directory of the UGA Small Business Development Center organization. The directory is listed in alphabetical order with a brief bio of each faculty and staff member. To view more about each professional, simply hover over the photo and click the envelope icon. You will be directed to their full biography, social media channels, and contact information on another page.

Albany Office

Debbie Finney

Area Director

Debbie Finney 28 years of work experience in the private sector to the SBDC where she now consults with Georgia businesses in the areas...

Heather Sharpe

Consultant

Heather Sharpe serves as a Business Consultant for the University Of Georgia Small Business Development Center in Albany, Georgia. She attended Darton College before...

Rob Martin

Consultant

Rob Martin is a business consultant in the Albany office. Previously, he worked for multiple large corporations and brings with him a rich background...

Anne Chaplin

Program Coordinator

Anne Chaplin serves as a Program Coordinator for the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center in Albany Georgia. She attended Darton State College...

Athens Office

Laura Katz

Area Director

Ms. Katz has over 15 years’ experience in product marketing and business development for both large corporations and small business. She has worked in...

Michael Myers

Consultant

Michael Myers joined the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Athens Area Office< on October 1, 2015. Before joining the SBDC, Michael...

David Stob

Consultant

David J. Stob brings to the SBDC a diverse background of over 24 years in various marketing and business development roles with executive management...

Stacy Johnson

Program Coordinator

Stacy Johnson has over 15 years of experience in advertising and marketing working as a graphic designer for small advertising agencies in Dallas, Texas....

Atlanta Office

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Consultant

Paul has extensive industry experience that spans leadership roles in supply chain management, procurement, marketing, supplier diversity, and small business development.

Anna Brumby

Business Consultant

Anna has over 15 years’ experience as an influential business leader with a history of designing and executing successful marketing, branding and business development..

Thomas Heaton

Consultant

Tommy has financial industry experience that includes leadership roles in portfolio management, commercial lending, process management, and real estate acquisition. His e

Telisha Farrow Jackson

Program Coordinator

Bio Coming Soon!

Augusta Office

Rick McMurtrey

Area Director

Rick brings over 33 years of business experience to the UGA SBDC. Prior to joining the SBDC, Rick spent more than 20 years as...

Eric Frickey

Consultant

Prior to joining the SBDC, Eric worked at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) where he focused on licensing federally-funded technologies to small businesses.

Dawn Black

Consultant

Dawn Black is a Business Consultant with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center in Augusta. Her business career spans nearly 20 years...

Rebecca Kruckow

Program Coordinator

Rebecca has been with UGA-SBDC at Augusta since November 2014 in the role of Program Coordinator. She provides scheduling, information, and marketing for consultants...

Brunswick Office

David Lewis

Area Director

Mr. Lewis joined the SBDC in 1990 as a rural economic development consultant and is currently the area director of the Brunswick office. He...

Jordan Tippett

Consultant

Jordan Tippett joined the SBDC in 2015 as a business consultant in the Brunswick office. Previously, he worked for multiple large corporations in the...

Saundra Phillips

Administrative Assistant

As the first point of contact, Saundra is ready to assist existing and prospective business owners with basic business information and resources. She directs...

Carrollton Office

Todd Anduze

Area Director

Prior to joining the Georgia SBDC, Mr Anduze served in the United States Navy during the Desert Storm campaign as a Plane Captain for...

Cole Fannin

Consultant

Prior to joining the SBDC, Mr. Fannin worked in the areas of sales & marketing, as well as insurance. During his tenure, he worked...

Jane Smith

Administrative Assistant

Jane Smith has been with the UGA SBDC at the University of West Georgia for 19 years. Prior to joining the UGA SBDC, she gained...

Columbus Office

Todd Carlisle

Consultant

Prior to joining the SBDC, Todd worked in the areas of banking and logistics. During his four year banking tenure, Todd worked at Columbus...

Michelle Griffin

Consultant

Michelle brings over 15 years of business experience. The majority of those years were dedicated to the Columbus, Georgia community as a local banker...

Deborah Free

Administrative Assistant

Often the first point of contact, Deborah’s goal is providing clients with information exercising optimum customer service enriching their experience by creating a frie

DeKalb Office

Stephen Newton

Consultant

Growing up on a farm in rural south Georgia, I learned early in life the importance of responsibility and hard work. The entrepreneurial spirit...

Ruby Riesinger

Consultant

Bio Coming Soon!

Mark Collier

Consultant

Mark Collier joins the SBDC after an accomplished career in the private sector and a temporary assignment with the U.S. Small Business Administration office...

Geoffrey Loften

Program Coordinator

Geoffrey joined the SBDC in August of 2015 as the Program Coordinator at the DeKalb office. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political...

Gainesville Office

W. Patrick Fulbright

Consultant

Patrick was born and raised in Lakeland, Florida. He started his working career with Publix Supermarkets and then transitioned into retail management with The...

Molly Knight

Program Coordinator

Molly came onboard as the UGA SBDC Gainesville Program Coordinator in May 2017. Molly is originally from Augusta, Georgia where she participated in Youth...

Gwinnett Office

Benny StaRomana

Consultant

Mr. StaRomana provides coaching and guidance to small- and medium-sized businesses in all stages of the business life cycle, from start-up to exit. His...

Aysha Cooper

Consultant

Aysha Cooper brings 20 years of experience either working with small business owners or being a small business owner herself. Prior to joining the...

Helen Sutherland

Program Coordinator

Helen serves as the administrative assistant for the UGA SBDC in Gwinnett office. She provides day-to-day staff support and takes great pride in having the...

Kennesaw Office

Drew Tonsmeire

Area Director

Drew Tonsmeire serves as the Area Director with the University of Georgia SBDC at Kennesaw State University. In 2014, the KSU SBDC was recognized...

Carole Arnold

Program Coordinator

Carole Arnold is the Program Coordinator for the UGA SBDC at Kennesaw State University. She previously worked as a marketing and logistics manager for...

Andy Fried

Consultant

Andy Fried has over twenty-five years experience in the financial, retail and real estate sectors. He began his career as a CPA with Laventhol...

Dan Regelski

Consultant

Dan was raised in an Entrepreneurial home where his family owned and farmed a 200 acre Agribusiness. Growing up in this environment made him...

Daniel McCoy

Consultant

Daniel has been at the SBDC as a Business Consultant since September 2018 after a successful Banking career and Retail career. Daniel served as...

Macon Office

Lisa Rackley

Area Director

Ms. Rackley worked in Human Resources for a manufacturing facility prior to joining the Small Business Development Center. Her previous experience includes working with..

Peter Williams

Consultant

Peter Williams provides business consulting services to businesses in Middle Georgia. Prior to joining the SBDC in 2013, Mr. Williams owned and operated for eleven...

Trudy Lawrence

Program Coordinator

Trudy has over 15 years of experience in Retail Management and Buying. She also served as Executive Director for several non-profit education programs for...

Morrow Office

Alisa Kirk

Area Director

Alisa Kirk is the Area Director of the UGA Small Business Development Center at Clayton State University, which provides business consulting and training for...

John Payton

Consultant

Bio coming soon!

Cheryl Greenerl

Program Coordinator

Cheryl Greenerl has served as the Program Coordinator with UGA SBDC at Clayton State University since March 2015 and is the first point of...

Rome Office

Richard Montanaro

Area Director

Mr. Montanaro brings more than 20 years of experience as a senior executive to his role as an SBDC area director. Montanaro’s industry experience...

Matt Pearce

Consultant

Matt’s previous work experience includes financial management positions in the computer, freight/logistics and investment management industries. He also owned a bus

Nora Guzman

Consultant

Nora serves as a business consultant for the UGA SBDC in Rome. She has a diverse background with extensive experience in management, human resources, manufacturing,�

Emily Tippett

Program Coordinator

Emily serves as the Program Coordinator for the UGA SBDC in Rome. She has a background in event planning and public speaking, having hosted...

Savannah Office

Becky Brownlee

Area Director

Mrs. Brownlee has been a small business owner for over 20 years. She has owned businesses in manufacturing, specialty retail, beauty and trade schools,...

Chase Cowart

Consultant

Chase joined the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center in 2018. He has previous experience working in insurance and health care administration with...

Liz Overstreet

Program Coordinator

Liz Overstreet helps new entrepreneurs by providing them basic business information, from the center’s current program offerings to sample business plans. Ms. Overs

Statesboro Office

Valerie McElveen

Area Director

Prior to joining the Small Business Development Center, Valerie worked in the areas of accounting and operations. Her experience ranges from working in a...

John Myers

Consultant

With extensive practice in new business development, sales, and operations John has developed and implemented revenue growth processes at large and small companies. He...

Valdosta Office

Walt Moore

Area Director

Mr. Walt Moore serves as a business consultant for the UGA Small Business Development Center at Valdosta State University. He has over eight years...

Cindy Corgan

Program Coordinator

Cindy Corgan is the Program Coordinator for the University of Georgia SBDC at Valdosta State University. As a graduate of Valdosta State University she...

State Director's Office

Allan Adams

State Director

Mr. Adams has served with the Small Business Development Center in several capacities. These include roles with the Minority Business Division, the International Trade...

Melody Banks

Administrative Associate

Bio coming soon!

Sharon Jennings

Administrative Professional

Bio coming soon!

Beth Melnik

Associate State Director

Prior to joining the SBDC, Ms. Melnik worked for a marketing firm based in Peachtree City and for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of...

J. Ashley Panter

Marketing Manager

Ashley Panter has over 8 years of experience in the marketing industry in some fashion or another and has multiple international graphic design awards...

Teresa Williams

Program Director

Ms. Williams joined the SBDC in 2005, first as a Business Manager, and now as Director of Special Programs. Her previous experience includes fifteen years...

Mark Mayfield

Assistant to the Director

Mark returned to the University of Georgia in 2013 to pursue a PhD in Higher Education and work at the University of Georgia’s Small...

Business Office

Melissa Stoker

Administrative Financial Director

Bio coming soon!

Penny Johnson

Senior Accounting Technician

Bio coming soon!

Jessica Hearn

Business Manager

Bio coming soon!

Morgan Robinson

Accountant

Spatial analytics has always been an interest for Morgan. After completing her degree in Geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Morgan was hired by...

Information Technology

Mike Parrish

IT Manager

Bio coming soon!

Guillermo Londono

IT Specialist

Bio coming soon!

Steve Quinlan

IT Support

Bio coming soon!

Meredith Reeves

Application Programmer Associate

From the time that internet access started to become a staple in every home, Meredith has wanted to know how just how it worked....

Program Development

Kyle Hensel

Program Director

Kyle Hensel is the former Area Director of the UGA SBDC at Savannah and the current Director of Continuing Education at the State Office....

Mark Lupo

Business Education/Resilience Specialist

Mr. Lupo joined The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center in Columbus in 2005 as a Business Consultant and was promoted to Area...

District Directors

Ron Simmons

District Director

Ron Simmons is one of two District Directors for The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. He works with multiple office throughout the state...

Suzanne Barnett

District Director

Suzanne Barnett is one of two District Directors for The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. She works with multiple office throughout the state of

Josh Walton

District Director

Mr. Walton is a former commercial and small business lender. He has over 12 years experience working with small and mid-sized lending customers. His...

Entrepreneur Outreach Specialists

Bill Boone

Entrepreneur Outreach Specialist

Bio coming soon!

Medical Program

Jeff Sanford

Program Director

Mr. Sanford teaches Practice Management at the College of Veterinary Medicine and consults with veterinarians nationwide. He teaches specialized business education progra

Matt Lastinger

Medical Management Specialist

Mr. Lastinger works in the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center’s Medical Practice Management Program leading its medical consulting and education ac

Minority Business Development

Carolina Ramon

Center Director

Carolina Ramon joined the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Office of Minority Business Development (OMBD) October 1, 2015. Before joining

Bart Njoku-Obi

Consultant

Bart’s expertise spans strategic planning, sales operations, business process improvement, B2B partner ecosystems, and M&A. He’s entrepreneurial-minded with m

International Trade

Rick Martin

Center Director

Rick has over 30 years of experience in international business in both the public and private sector. During his career, he established and developed...

Dimitris Kloussiadis

Consultant

Dimitris has over 28 years’ experience in international business, in both the public and private sectors. While in the private sector, he established an...

Darrel Hulsey

Consultant

Mr. Hulsey previously worked for a large commercial bank serving in various lending and management positions. He also has experience as an independent financial...

Mario Gonzalez

Consultant

Mr. Gonzalez has over 18 years of combined professional experience in information technology, telecommunications, project management and international trade/business. Ove

Directory

Albany Office

Debbie Finney

Heather Sharpe

Rob Martin

Anne Chaplin

Athens Office

Laura Katz

Michael Myers

David Stob

Stacy Johnson

Atlanta Office

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Anna Brumby

Thomas Heaton

Telisha Farrow Jackson

Augusta Office

Rick McMurtrey

Eric Frickey

Dawn Black

Rebecca Kruckow

Brunswick Office

David Lewis

Jordan Tippett

Saundra Phillips

Carrollton Office

Todd Anduze

Cole Fannin

Jane Smith

Columbus Office

Todd Carlisle

Michelle Griffin

Deborah Free

DeKalb Office

Stephen Newton

Ruby Riesinger

Mark Collier

Geoffrey Loften

Gainesville Office

W. Patrick Fulbright

Molly Knight

Gwinnett Office

Benny StaRomana

Aysha Cooper

Helen Sutherland

Kennesaw Office

Drew Tonsmeire

Carole Arnold

Andy Fried

Dan Regelski

Daniel McCoy

Macon Office

Lisa Rackley

Peter Williams

Trudy Lawrence

Morrow Office

Alisa Kirk

John Payton

Cheryl Greenerl

Rome Office

Richard Montanaro

Matt Pearce

Nora Guzman

Emily Tippett

Savannah Office

Becky Brownlee

Chase Cowart

Liz Overstreet

Statesboro Office

Valerie McElveen

John Myers

Valdosta Office

Walt Moore

Cindy Corgan

State Director's Office

Allan Adams

Melody Banks

Sharon Jennings

Beth Melnik

J. Ashley Panter