Isabella Guzman Named Head Of SBA

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wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Guzman – Isabel Guzman

Isabella Guzman has been named Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, which has been charged with the implementation of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program. 

Guzman was confirmed by a 81-17 Senate vote on March 16. She was announced as Joe Biden’s pick for head of the SBA in January. 

She was previously Director of the Office the Small Business Advocate in California, a department of California’s Office of Economic Development. 

Now head of the SBA, Guzman will be charged with overseeing the government’s distribution of aid to millions of struggling small business owners and employees, particularly in the concert industry.
“I have every confidence that under Ms. Guzman’s leadership, the SBA will help small business owners hold onto their dreams until our economy comes roaring back,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

The SVOG program came out of the Save Our Stages Act, which was adopted into a relief package by Congress in December. 

The SBA has still not opened applications for SVOG grants, but has recently updated its FAQs on the matter, saying it is working extensively to open them by early April. 

As a part of the $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law by Joe Biden on March 11, rules regarding the SVOG program were changed to allow applicants to apply for its grants and PPP loans. 

The National Independent Venue Association sent a statement Pollstar after Guzman’s confirmation: “We congratulate Isabel Guzman on her bipartisan confirmation as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  We look forward to working with Administrator Guzman to quickly open the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program, which was signed into law on December 27, 2020. Our shuttered industry is still awaiting this emergency relief needed to survive the pandemic.  We stand ready to assist Administrator Guzman as we continue our fight to Save Our Stages.”