PROVIDENCE — The 3rd Annual Rhode Island Small Business Economic Summit, scheduled for Friday and sponsored by the Rhode Island office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), is booked solid, with a waiting list of people who want to attend.
Normand T. Deragon, public information officer for the SBA in Rhode Island, said 175 small business leaders, advocates and owners have registered to attend the summit, and a waiting list includes another 15 people. There is no cost to attend. The event is slated for 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Culinary Archives & Museum on the Harborside Campus of Johnson & Wales University.
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The summit was created to facilitate business leadership discussion and formulation of a cohesive small business advocacy package for the 2009 session of the General Assembly. The summit will engage business and civic leaders in soliciting potential short- and long-term solutions to the state’s critical financial problems. Participants will design and approve a legislative package that small businesses and associated organizations can support to improve the state’s business climate.
Offering welcoming remarks will be: Irving Schneider, president of Johnson & Wales University; Mark S. Hayward, director of the SBA Rhode Island office; and Sandford “Sandy” Blitz, regional administrator from the SBA’s Boston office. Leonard Lardaro, professor of economics at the University of Rhode Island, will discuss “the economic outlook” as part of the welcome session, according to the agenda.
Participants have the option of attending one of two two-hour sessions on small business health care issues or building Rhode Island’s economic foundation short- and long-term. A plenary session for all attendees will follow at 11 a.m., featuring a panel discussion among state elected officials including Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts and General Treasurer Frank Caprio, as well as leaders of the General Assembly.
Those who signed up for the summit but have found that they cannot attend are asked to contact Hayward or Deragon at the SBA office, (401) 528-4561, so those on the waiting list can have the chance to be there.
For additional information about the U.S. Small Business Administration and its programs, call the SBA’s Rhode Island district office at 528-4561 or visit www.sba.gov.
