Following a nationwide search, Dr. Rich Grogan, PhD has been named the new state director for the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, succeeding Mary Collins.

The NH SBDC is a co-operative program partnership between SBA, the University Of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul School Of Business and Economics and the Department of Resources and Economic Development. Since 1984, it has provided assistance in more than 200 communities throughout the state and assisted more than 39,000 Granite State entrepreneurs representing over 18,000 businesses.

“The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center is a key link for businesses in various stages of their growth here in the state and one of our valued partners,” said Jeff Rose, Commissioner of NH Department of Resources and Economic Development. “Rich brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new position and will be a great benefit for businesses working with SBDC.”

Grogan, most recently the Keene regional manager for NH SBDC, begins his new position on April 6.

He is a native of North Carolina and before joining the NH SBDC, Grogan was a professor in the MBA in organizational and environmental sustainability program at Antioch University New England. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in business from Wake Forest University; an MPA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and he earned his PhD in organizational sustainability from Michigan State University.

“I am ecstatic to transition into a leadership position in this organization, especially because I feel that we are in a position of strength. We have an amazingly talented staff, and current State Director Mary Collins’ leadership has positioned us well for the future,” he said. “Entrepreneurship and the growth of small businesses are hot topics right now, and the SBDC, which has been in this business for 30 years in the state, is well positioned to lead the conversation about the growth of this community for the next 30 years and beyond.”

The NH SBDC Lead Center located in Durham, oversees the day to day operations, with satellite offices throughout the state. Its full-time certified business advisors provide one-on-one long-term management advising to small businesses, at no cost to the client. They are experienced business owners or managers, and have been certified through the New England SBDC Professional Development Program.

For more information visit: nhsbdc.org.

Tags: business resources, Jeffrey Rose, NH SBDC, Rich Grogan

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 18th, 2015 at 8:22 am and is filed under NH Business Matters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.