Isabel Guzman
27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Assumed office
March 17, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyDilawar Syed
Preceded byJovita Carranza
Personal details
Born1970 or 1971 (age 52–53)[1]
Burbank, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BS)

Isabella Casillas Guzman[2] (born 1970) is an American government official serving as the administrator of the Small Business Administration in the Biden administration. She assumed office on March 17, 2021.[3][4][5] She is the fifth Latina woman to ever have served in the Cabinet of the United States.[6]

Early life and education

Guzman was born in Burbank, California.[7] Guzman is of Mexican ancestry. She hails from four generations of Texans who originally fled the Mexican Revolution from the states of Aguascalientes and Jalisco. In the 1960s, Guzman's father moved from Texas to Los Angeles.[7][6] According to a Larta Institute profile, Guzman claims her heritage also includes Jewish, German and possibly Chinese ancestry.[7] Her parents owned a small business.[8]

Guzman received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.[8]

Career

Guzman sworn in as administrator of the Small Business Administration by Kamala Harris in 2021

Guzman was studio manager and managing partner at Miauhaus Studios from 1998 to 2002, continuing as managing partner through 2010. She served as a deputy appointments secretary for California Governor Gray Davis from 2002 to 2003. She was manager and advisor to founder at Illulian from 2003 to 2005, taking a sabbatical in 2004 to consult during the launch of Fortius Holdings. She was director of strategic initiatives and advisor to founding chair at ProAmerica Bank from 2009 to 2014, then joined the Small Business Administration in 2014 as deputy chief of staff. From 2017 to 2019, she worked as an independent consultant with clients such as the Larta Institute, before co-founding and directing GovContractPros in 2018.[9]

Beginning April 2019, Guzman served as the director of California's Office of the Small Business Advocate, a department within the California Governor's Office of Economic Development.[10]

On January 7, 2021, it was announced that Guzman would be President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for administrator of the Small Business Administration.[11] Guzman was reported out of the Senate Small Business Committee by a 15–5 vote, and confirmed on March 16, 2021, in a 81–17 vote of the United States Senate.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 3.28.19". Governor of California. March 28, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  2. ^ "Small business advocate Isabella Casillas Guzman named California Steward Leader of the Year". California Forward. December 2, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  3. ^ Bloomberg, Jennifer Epstein (January 7, 2021). "Biden reportedly picks California official Isabel Guzman to head SBA". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  4. ^ "Supporting California's Small Businesses in Covid-19 Recovery". Northern California Grantmakers. April 22, 2020. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  5. ^ Bloomberg, Jennifer Epstein (January 7, 2021). "Biden Picks California Official Isabel Guzman to Head SBA". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "El Senado confirma a Isabel Guzmán, única latina del gabinete de Biden" [The Senate confirms Isabel Guzmán, the only Latina in Biden's cabinet]. The Los Angeles Times (in Spanish). March 16, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Cheek, Laura (October 15, 2018). "Larta Celebrates Diversity Through Latinx Heritage Month". Larta Institute. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Isabella Casillas Guzman". U.S. Small Business Administration. Small Business Administration. March 31, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 3.28.19". California Governor. March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Guadalupe, Patricia (November 6, 2020). "How Business Incubators Help Hispanic Small Businesses Get Off the Ground". www.legalzoom.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  11. ^ Epstein, Jennifer (January 7, 2021). "Biden Picks California Official Isabel Guzman to Head SBA". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Rogers, Alex (March 16, 2021). "Senate confirms Isabel Guzman to lead Small Business Administration". cnn.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Isabel Casillas Guzman.
Political offices Preceded byJovita Carranza Administrator of the Small Business Administration 2021–present Incumbent U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) Preceded byLinda Thomas-Greenfieldas Ambassador to the United Nations Order of precedence of the United Statesas Administrator of the Small Business Administration since March 17, 2021 Succeeded byArati Prabhakaras Presidential Science Advisor
Administrators of the Small Business Administration
Cabinet of President Joe Biden (2021–present)
Members of the Cabinet of the United States
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