PRESIDENT Joe Biden this week appointed a Filipina American community leader to a key regional leadership role at the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).
Geri Sanchez Aglipay was named SBA regional administrator for region 5, according to the White House announcement on Thursday, January 27.
The region covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Aglipay, a second-generation American and a daughter of a veteran, has over 20 years of experience in workforce, entrepreneurship, and economic development and is passionate about strengthening collaborative innovation across sectors and industries to create more equitable paths to financial security for small business owners and the self-employed, especially to create a level playing field for socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
Prior to the SBA, she served as Director of the Midwest Region and National Manager of Women’s Entrepreneurship for Small Business Majority, where she expanded and directed the organization’s strategic education programs, policy, research, and financial development efforts in the Midwest and oversaw women’s entrepreneurship nationwide to address disparities.
Aglipay has served as commissioner of the Cook County Commission for Social Innovation; co-chair of Racial Wealth Gap Committee of Financial Inclusion for All Illinois; and on the advisory council of HHS NIOSH Center of Excellence UIC Center for Healthy Work. She is a graduate of Bradley University.
In addition to Aglipay, Biden appointed Vercie Lark for SBA Regional Administrator of Region 7, which serves Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
The president also named several individuals to regional leadership roles at the Department of Agriculture, covering Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, Washington and Wyoming. (AJPress)
Being a Filipina myself and our children, I am proud to know and learn that President Joseph Biden appoints a female Asian in his administration. Filipinos are smart, innovative, industrious, and honest people. We migrated in USA to better our lives and we instill in our children that hard work, good education and honesty is the best way to lead a good decent life. Thank you Mr. Biden in putting your trust in us. Take care and God Bless you to give you a good productive life and another four years in office.