February 3, 2003

Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes and Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, Co-Chairs of the Partner America™ Small Business Task Force, hosted the Partner America™ Small Business Task Force Meeting at The United States Conference of Mayors 71st Winter Meeting. The mayors were joined by George Cloutier, Co-Chair of Partner America™ and Chairman & CEO of American Management Services Inc., Michael Barrera, Small Business Administration (SBA) Ombudsman and Bruce Blakeman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Commercial Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Mayor Barnes encouraged the mayors in attendance to focus on small business retention and to understand that procurement is one of the biggest issues facing small businesses. She said, "As a former small business owner, I remember the first time I wanted to do business with the government. I examined the materials I needed to fill out and I was forced to compare the time it would take to work with the public versus the private sector. I chose the private, which was unfortunate, because I missed out on great opportunities."

Mayor Malloy also shared his insight on small business needs. "Small business owners have no time and no recall of resources they have been only briefly introduced to. It is important that we offer services and explanations time and time again, so small businesses do not think getting involved with the government is so confusing," Malloy stated.

Partner America™ Chairman George Cloutier noted that the power of small business in the community is strong and he encouraged the mayors to focus on bringing along this forgotten majority. Cloutier said, "It is important that the mayors bridge the gap between small businesses and the government to help these small businesses grow and prosper, and add jobs to the nation's metro economy."

SBA Ombudsman Michael Barrera encouraged the mayors to understand that communities nurture small business. "Small businesses are born in the community and they need to stay in that community and grow. I am happy to see the Conference of Mayors focus on small business because it will help both cities and businesses evolve," he added.

Bruce Blakeman outlined the programs provided by The U. S. Commercial Service directly to small businesses as well as to the Mayors' office. He encouraged the mayors to look to the Department of Commerce as a source for trade questions, export seminars, and for help with economic development efforts.

If you would like to learn more about Partner America™, please contact Jeff Bean, Managing Director, at 877-778-6726 or jbean@usmayors.org.