Small Business Development Center has interim director

Shawna Markiewicz, assistant to the director for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, has been named interim director of the center.

A search for a permanent replacement for former director Matt Barrett has begun. Barrett recently accepted a position with Graham Advertising, Colorado Springs, after five years at UCCS.

The SBDC will continue to offer services including small business counseling, training seminars and events, Markiewicz said.

The nonprofit SBDC is hosted by the UCCS College of Business. SBDC personnel provide free counseling and low-cost training seminars to operators and potential operators of small- and medium-size businesses in El Paso and Teller counties. Successful business experts and entrepreneurs from the Pikes Peak region often conduct the seminars and workshops, sharing personal experience.

The SBDC is partially funded by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the city of Colorado Springs, and the College of Business.