Mr. Adams has served with the Small Business Development Center in several capacities. These include roles with the Minority Business Division, the International Trade Division, and the Rural Economic Development Program, as well as serving as Associate State Director. Additional experience includes positions as an Associate Director at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and as a staff member in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and the national Association of Small Business Development Centers.

Education

• B.A. in Political Science, University of Georgia
• M.B.A, Brenau University

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 Development Center. In 2017, he joined the state office full-time, serving as assistant to the director and managing several state-level projects. He supports the SBDC as liaison to student programs, HR, and advancement on campus as well as assisting with research and assessment projects.

Education

• PhD Higher Education, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (expected completion, December 2018)
• MA Religion, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
• BA English, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA

Experience

• Assistant to the Director, University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center, Athens, GA (2017-present)
• Instructor of Religion, Georgia Gwinnett College, Lawrenceville, GA (2011-2017)
• Instructor, University of Georgia, Athens GA (2010-2012)

Accomplishments

• As a PhD candidate, Mark’s research focuses on finance and innovation at Christian colleges and universities. Prior to joining the SBDC, he taught courses in religion at the University of Georgia and Georgia Gwinnett College

Prior to joining the SBDC, Ms. Melnik worked for a marketing firm based in Peachtree City and for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia in Atlanta. As the Assistant State Director for Organizational Effectiveness and Marketing, Ms. Melnik conducts needs assessments for Georgia’s small businesses, coordinates the unit’s strategic planning process, and evaluates the economic impact of SBDC services. She also oversees organizational marketing efforts and provides technical assistance to business and economic development research projects. Ms. Melnik currently serves as vice chair of the national accreditation committee for the Association of Small Business Development Centers.  In 2012 she was presented with the University of Georgia’s Walter Barnard Hill Award for distinguished achievement in public service and outreach.

Education

• MBA, Georgia State University (Marketing)
• BS, Georgia Institute of Technology (Management)

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 with Public Service units at the University of Georgia in the area of financial operations and administration. As a Business Manager, she administered the financial operations of the GA SBDC including financial activity for seventeen field offices. Her current responsibilities, as Director of Special Programs, include quality assurance of SBDC services through field office reviews, coordination and management of an internship/assistantship program, preparing and managing grant proposals, and tracking progress and deliverables of various programs.

Education

• MBA, University of Georgia
• BBA, University of Georgia (Management Information Systems)