2021 State Star: Andrea Rogers Mosley
The national Association of Small Business Development Centers has recognized Andrea Rogers Mosley, Center Director of the SBDC at Alabama State University, as the “2021 State Star” in recognition of her contributions to serving Alabama’s small business community. Mrs. Mosley was recognized at a virtual conference alongside her peers.
Mosley honorably served as an active-duty service member in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1989 to 1993 and is a Desert Shield and Desert Storm Veteran. Prior to joining the SBDC in 2010, Mosley owned a solopreneur virtual assistance and web design company for seven years. She is active in the community and currently serves as an advisory council member of the Lowndes County Area Chamber of Commerce and an appointed commissioner with the Montgomery Housing Authority. She has served as a Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce board member and Roundtable facilitator for the Women in Business Conversations.
The Alabama SBDC at ASU primarily serves entrepreneurs and small business owners in a six-county region that includes Montgomery, Prattville, Wetumpka, and Tuskegee, but works with individuals throughout Alabama.
Companies that have worked with Mosley are quick to recognize her talent and contribution: “Andrea Mosley is amazing. She eliminated my fears around obtaining my PPP which has helped me tremendously. She also introduced me to government contracting. She took her time answering all my questions and walking me through every step of the way! I will continue to use the SBDC for guidance and support!” says Ashley Jernigan of JDB Hospitality in Montgomery.
Jonathan Strange, of XiRepair, states that, “We have been going to SBDC events since 2019 and have received great tips and tricks to better our business. We have been able to grow our company and attain the right funds with the assistance of SBDC and everything we learned from it. Thank you so much Mrs. Mosley. We appreciate everything you have done for us! We are excited for the new chapter.”
“Andrea follows in the footsteps of her mentor Lorenza Patrick, the long-time former director of the SBDC at ASU. She plays a pivotal role in connecting
entrepreneurs to the resources they need in the capitol region and beyond. She is part of a great team that has allowed the Alabama SBDC to be recognized as a high-performing economic development organization,” says Bill Cummins, Executive State Director of the Alabama SBDC Network.
“Besides her excellent work for the SBDC, Andrea also spends a considerable amount of time mentoring first-generation college students in COBA. She hires between 4-6 students every semester as 20–hours students and turns them into perfect professionals ready to join the competitive workforce. She, by far, is one of the brightest stars of the College and the University, says Dr. Kamal Hingorani, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Alabama State University.
The statewide Alabama Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is hosted by the University of Alabama’s Office for Research & Economic Development; it provides no-cost management and technical assistance to small businesses in all 67 counties. Alabama State University has been part of the Alabama SBDC Network since its inception in 1980, and is one of several HBCU’s to host an SBDC.
The State Star award is given annually to an outstanding business advisor from each SBDC network. Criteria include showing a strong commitment to small business success, making significant contributions to the state SBDC program, and being an exemplary performer.
Mosley holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resource Management from Troy University and a Master of Arts Degree in Human Services: Counseling Business from Liberty University. She is passionate about helping small businesses survive and thrive. She loves traveling with her husband and spending quality time with their children and family.
Over the last two years, the Alabama SBDC helped over 400 businesses start and facilitated over $311 million in capital for growing (and recovering) small businesses; over 2,000 new jobs were created by Alabama SBDC clients.
The Alabama SBDC unlocks the potential of any business by providing business expertise normally reserved for large, established companies. Alabama’s small business community turns to the trusted business advisors at the Alabama SBDC for guidance on growing or starting a business, accessing capital, selling to the federal government, or exploring international trade. The Alabama SBDC Network is a statewide program funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Hosted by The University of Alabama – Office for Research & Economic Development. It is nationally accredited by the Association of SBDCs, the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the United States.
Contact the Alabama SBDC at 877-825-7232, 205-348-1582, visit ASBDC.org, or email ASBDC@ua.edu.