Maine SBA has new statewide director, new manager in Portland
Courtesy / SBA Maine District Office
Amy Bassett, the new director of the Maine District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Brad Currie, senior area manager of the SBA's Portland office.
Amy Bassett, the new director of the Maine District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced the appointment of Brad Currie as senior area manager of the SBA’s Portland office.
Currie will be responsible for managing SBA’s programs and initiatives in Cumberland and York counties. His office is located in the U.S. Customs House, 312 Fore St., in Portland.
Prior to joining the Maine district office, Currie worked in the SBA’s Colorado district office, where he served as an economic development specialist, veteran business development officer, SCORE liaison, assistant public information officer and administrative officer. He also is a retired U.S. Army reservist.
“We’re pleased to have someone with Brad’s experience and knowledge join our team and assist us in Portland,” Bassett said during a brief get-acquainted visit to the Mainebiz office. “Portland is a very vibrant business community and we have a lot of lending partners who we’re involved with out of that office.”
SBA's new leader for Maine
Bassett, a native of New Hampshire, succeeded Marilyn Geroux as SBA’s state director in mid-January, following Geroux’s retirement on Jan. 3 after more than 47 years of service with the Maine district office.
Prior to taking over from Geroux, Bassett worked for 26 years at the SBA’s New Hampshire District Office, most recently as its deputy district director.
In addition to the district’s main office in Augusta that’s staffed by five people and its southern Maine office staffed by Currie in Portland, the SBA has an office in Bangor staffed by Jim Pineau that serves northern Maine. Each office, Bassett said, provides “capital, counseling and contracting” services to businesses throughout the state.
“One of my goals is to increase the number of lenders who work with us,” she said. “We need those lending partners: They’re the ones who make the loans, and we back them with a guarantee.”
Bassett said another priority is to do more outreach with small businesses and lenders, making sure they’re both familiar with all the different loan, consulting and training programs that SBA has to offer. Among them:
- Free counseling, advice and information on starting a business through SCORE.
- Financial assistance for new or existing businesses through guaranteed loans made by area bank and non-bank lenders.
- Free consulting services through the network of Small Business Development Centers. SBDCs also conduct training events throughout the district. Some require a nominal registration fee.
- Assistance to businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals through the Minority Enterprise Development Program.
- Women's Business Ownership Representatives are available to advise women business owners.
- Special loan programs are available for businesses involved in international trade.
- Guaranteed loans are available for credit-worthy veterans.
“Last year my predecessor convened a service provider economic summit to see how we can work together to get the word out about the many programs and services we’re all involved in,” Bassett said, referring to SCORE, the Small Business Development Centers, CEI, Finance Authority of Maine, Community Concepts and Eastern Maine Development Corp. “That will continue.”
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