PROVIDENCE – The former U.S. Small Business Administration’s Delaware district director will be heading north to the Ocean State to lead the SBA’s Rhode Island district office.
The SBA announced Monday that Robert Piechota has been named the new Rhode Island district director to lead both the local office’s six employees and various federal small business support programs. Piechota formally succeeds Mark S. Hayward, the longtime SBA Rhode Island director who
retired at the end of 2023.
Catherine Marx, the current Connecticut SBA district director,
had temporarily led the Rhode Island office since January prior to Piechota’s appointment.
The SBA says Piechota has more than 25 years of experience in business both small and large. He previously owned a small business in Connecticut and also worked within a Fortune 500 company.
Piechota’s past experience working for small business support organizations also includes being a branch manager for the SBA Long Island, N.Y., office and director of the Brooklyn, N.Y., Small Business Development Center at the New York City College of Technology.
SBA representatives did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment from Providence Business News.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.