FSBDC at UCF Expands Staff to Drive Business Recovery-Resilience-Continuity In New Normal
Small Business Development Center adds Consultants and Associates to Assist Central Florida Businesses
June 25, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hal Thayer, Communications Director, FSBDC at UCF, 407.420.4850 or hthayer@ucf.edu
Orlando, FL – The Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) has deployed CARES Act funding to help local companies get back to business and get back to growth, most prominently by adding ten (10) professionals to its staff, six (6) consultants and four (4) associate consultants focused most prominently on assisting businesses overcome the damage from the coronavirus shutdown and help them rebuild for long term success.
Tapping monies allocated to the U.S. Small Business Administration for small business revitalization through SBDC assistance, the FSBDC has launched a focused, robust, heavily resourced set of programs built around providing Recovery – Resiliency – Continuity support – all strengthened by additional staff and funding. At the same time, the FSBDC continues to deploy its core services and programs, including no-cost, expert business consulting; business training; and access to market data and information.
The new consultants and associate consultants joining the FSBDC at UCF put a broad range of skills and experience in play to help small businesses. Their proficiency in finance, marketing, and management build on the expertise of the FSBDC’s existing consultants to offer a powerful set of resources for Central Florida’s small businesses.
“We are excited to add this group of accomplished professionals to our team,” stated Eunice Choi, Regional Director, FSBDC at UCF. “With them in place, we have the resources available to help the small- and medium-sized businesses of Central Florida get back on their feet and set a course back to the success they had earned before the damage from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The FSBDC at UCF is pleased announce that following have joined the FSBDC at UCF as consultants:
| Name | Expertise | Previous Position |
| John Finnegan | Sales/Business Development | President, Sales Pro Consulting |
| Jose Molfino | Process Improvement/Operations/Financial Management | Owner, Pacific Windtree, LLC |
| Marcus Smith | Startup/Taxes/Management | Lt. Col, USAF Reserves |
| Sharon Smith | Marketing/Branding/Sales/Training | Consultant, SAS & Co. |
| Michael Townes | Sales/Business Development/Technology | Principal, DoWork Solutions |
In addition, the FSBDC is pleased to welcome the following as associate consultants:
| Name | Expertise | Previous or Current Position |
| Christoffer Bogstad | Finance/Financial Technology | Undergraduate, University of Central Florida, College of Business Administration |
| Eric Moneyham | Finance | Recent Graduate, University of Central Florida, College of Business Administration |
| Phidiana Remy | Entrepreneurship/Communications/ Digital Media | Computer Specialist, UCF IT Support Center |
| Elliot Weinthal | Entrepreneurship/Health Care | Recent Graduate, University of Central Florida, College of Business Administration |
For more information about the FSBDC at UCF and its Small Business Recovery Initiative, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.
— FSBDC —
About the FSBDC at UCF
Hosted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), and with its main office in the National Entrepreneur Center located at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (FSBDC at UCF) is part of the UCF Office of Partnership & Innovation and the Florida SBDC Network.
The Florida SBDC at UCF provides aspiring and existing small businesses with no-cost consulting, low-cost training, and access to business data and research resources. In addition to its core service offering, the Florida SBDC at UCF also offers specialized services to qualifying companies, including capital access, market growth, government contracting, international trade, business continuation, cybersecurity, disaster planning and recovery, and more. The FSBDC at UCF serves an eight-county area that includes Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties and maintains 10 service centers across Central Florida.
In 2018, the FSBDC at UCF served over 2,500 entrepreneurs in Central Florida with consulting services, resulting in more than 6,500 jobs created, retained or saved; $749 million in sales growth; $36.1 million in capital formation; $178.3 million in government contract awards; and 277 new businesses started. For more information, please visit www.sbdcorlando.com.
About the Florida SBDC Network
For over forty years, the Florida SBDC Network, the state’s principal provider of business assistance [Fl. Stat. 288.001], has nourished a statewide partnership between higher education and economic development to provide existing and emerging small and medium-sized business owners with management and knowledge resources that enable overall growth, increased profitability, and economic prosperity for Florida’s economy.
In 2018, Florida SBDCs have provided professional business consulting to 11,500 client businesses, resulting in more than 38,400 jobs impacted; $4.4 billion in sales generated; $520 million in government contracts acquired; $201.8 million in capital accessed; and 665 new businesses started.
A statewide network of over 40 offices, the Florida SBDC is funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Defense Logistics Agency, State of Florida and other private and public partners. The Florida SBDC Network, headquartered at the University of West Florida, is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs and is a 2016 recipient of the President’s E Award for Export Service. Florida SBDC services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for individuals with limited English proficiency. For more information, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
FSBDC at UCF | 3201 E. Colonial Drive | Orlando, FL 32801 | p 407.420.4850 | f 407.420.4862 | sbdc@ucf.edu
