Jennifer Funn Named New Maryland SBDC Regional Director

COLLEGE PARK, MD – Jennifer Funn has been named the director of the Baltimore region Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Maryland. The new region will provide services to businesses and entrepreneurs in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.  The center is one of 6 that manage numerous service locations throughout the state. 

 

As the director, Ms. Funn will be responsible for planning, developing, and implementing all programs offered by the SBDC; identifying resource requirements and strategies in the delivery of such programs and services and securing and maintaining the funding necessary to accomplish program goals and objectives in this diverse area of the state.  

 

"I am committed to expanding the Maryland Small Business Development Center's services to assist Baltimore City and Baltimore County's entrepreneurs grow and sustain their businesses,“ says Funn.

 

Before stepping into her new role, Funn who resides in Dundalk, Maryland, served as a business start-up specialist and Retail Revitalization program coordinator for Branch Avenue in Bloom – an award-winning community-based program that brought together resources, expertise, and county support to revitalize a once-blighted business community. The program was recognized by the Prince George’s county executive, the Prince George’s county council, and the White House.

 

Funn is a graduate of Virginia State University whose work with the community has deep roots. She was a former business owner and main street manager in the town of Dundalk, Md. She has been recognized for her commitment to the community and small businesses throughout the state. She is a member of the Arbutus Sustainable Advisory Committee and was appointed by Governor Hogan to the Chesapeake Conservation Corporation Advisory Board.

 

"Jennifer's knowledge of Baltimore City and Baltimore County, the breadth and depth of her contacts in each, and her knowledge of the SBDC make her an ideal first director of our new Baltimore region," says Paul Bardack, executive director of the Maryland SBDC. 

 

Funn has initiated a number of innovative programs and was named "outstanding staff member" by the University of Maryland. She also received a citation from the city of Baltimore for the SBDC Women’s Conference, and a citation for her work to bring an urban farm to the Branch Avenue in Bloom community project.

 

 

The Maryland SBDC provides a wide range of low-cost training and no-cost business counseling services to new and existing small businesses throughout Maryland. For more information on the Maryland SBDC program and its services, please visit www.marylandsbdc.org.     

 

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