NEWSRELEASE
For Release: September 13, 2004
Contact: John McDowell, (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 04-30 ADVO
Press Kit
Chief Economist Participates In Conference Spotlighting
Regional Economic Development
University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Brings In Experts
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Chief Economist for the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, Dr. Chad Moutray, participates today in the Knowledge Clusters and Entrepreneurship in Regional Economic Development conference sponsored by the University of Minnesota, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
“This conference is an important opportunity for policymakers interested in fostering regional economic growth,” said Dr. Moutray. “Our panel discusses what makes some countries and regions more entrepreneurial than others. Understanding this dynamic is crucial to the spread of entrepreneurship, growth, and job creation.”
The two-day conference brings together experts on how public policies designed to spur the development of innovative business clusters can work with programs that support entrepreneurship.
It specifically addresses how the increasing challenge of competing in a global economic context is forcing regions to reconsider their approach to economic development.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Institute is widely recognized for its role in examining public issues and shaping public policy at the local, state, national, and international levels. It is the University of Minnesota’s professional school of public affairs, which prepares leaders for public work and designs institutions of governance that accomplish public purposes.
The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues.
For more information, visit the Office of Advocacy website at
www.sba.gov/advo###
Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel’s efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit
www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.