Small Business Majority Grows by Leaps and Bounds

National small business advocacy organization Small Business Majority announced today the addition of eight new staff members to our team. The new employees will increase our capability to work on issues that matter most to small employers.

The team members will work out of various Small Business Majority offices across the country, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington, D.C. Small Business Majority now has 25 members on staff working to engage policymakers in support of solutions that promote small business growth and drive a strong economy.
 

Rhea Aguinaldo, Northern California Outreach Manager
Rhea Aguinaldo builds relationships with small business owners and business organizations in Northern California and provides education about the Affordable Care Act and other key small business issues. Previously, Rhea served as the Deputy Director for California at the National Asian American Coalition, a grassroots and public policy nonprofit that serves low-to-moderate-income communities of color. She took the lead on statewide advocacy through community engagement and worked closely with legislative and regulatory government officials, as well as corporate and community leaders, in support of policies affecting Main Street. Rhea’s passion for small business economic development stems from her mother and father, two entrepreneurial immigrant small business owners, who started their own healthcare and IT companies.

Emily Dewey, Health Coverage Guide
As a Colorado Health Coverage Guide, Emily Dewey works from our Denver office to build relationships with small businesses across Colorado and educate them about the state’s health insurance marketplace, Connect For Health Colorado. Before joining Small Business Majority, Emily worked at the Bauman Foundation in Washington, D.C., where she led an initiative to amplify the voice of small business on various policy issues including healthcare and environmental health. She is fluent in Spanish and previously served as a bilingual health educator with an AmeriCorps program in Denver.

Mark Herbert, Project Manager / Central California Outreach Manager
Mark Herbert is Project Manager and Central California Outreach Manager for Small Business Majority. Mark manages Small Business Majority’s statewide project to educate small business owners about Covered California, the state’s new health insurance marketplace. Mark works closely with Covered California and Small Business Majority’s California outreach team to ensure the project is successful. In addition, Mark works directly with business organizations and small business owners, particularly in the Central Valley, to educate them about the Affordable Care Act. Previously, Mark worked for state and federal lawmakers, where he directed business operations and built relationships with small business owners about public policy issues.

Grant Lahmann, Outreach Director
As Outreach Director, Grant Lahmann oversees and coordinates Small Business Majority’s outreach and education operations around the country. He is also responsible for coordinating with SBM business and advocacy partners to help bring the small business voice to outreach efforts a across a variety of policy issues. Grant spent time as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate and has an extensive background in political campaigns, most recently managing or directing several campaigns across the country.

Elliott Long, Outreach Coordinator / Administrative Assistant
Elliott Long assists Small Business Majority’s CEO, Vice President for External Affairs and members of the organization’s leadership team with scheduling, administrative and logistical support. He also supports the work of Small Business Majority’s small business outreach team across the country. Previously to joining Small Business Majority, Elliott served as an intern for members of Congress and at the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. He comes from a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Erik Rettig, Northeast Outreach Manager
As Northeast Outreach Manager, working from our New York office, Erik Rettig builds and maintains strategic partnerships with small business owners and organizations in New York, Connecticut, Maine and throughout the Northeast. He educates small business owners and organizations about the Affordable Care Act, clean energy policies, and other important small business issues. Previously, Erik worked as a small business advocate around the DC metro area. He also worked on political campaigns and as a staffer in the House of Representatives.

Stephanie Salazar-Rodriguez, Health Coverage Guide
Stephanie Salazar-Rodriguez builds relationships with small business owners in Colorado and educates them about the Affordable Care Act and Connect for Health Colorado. Previously, Stephanie spent more than 20 years working in the nonprofit sector and served as a bilingual independent consultant for various local, state and national nonprofit agencies. She also trained prospective entrepreneurs on how to start a small business. Stephanie is a member of the Hispanic Advisory Council for the Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado and continues to pursue her passion for reducing healthcare disparities, particularly among communities of color in Colorado.

Dustin McManus, Communications Assistant
Dustin McManus will be joining Small Business Majority as the communications assistant on Sept. 9, 2013. Dustin will manage the organization’s social media platforms, internal communications and marketing and educational materials. Dustin will also maintain the CEO and select leadership team member’s schedules.