U.S. Small Business Administration Associate Administrator Francisco Sanchez Jr. convened a roundtable of local business and community leaders Thursday to listen and learn about SBA’s performance following the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires.
Maui Economic Opportunity hosted the gathering with about 30 people in its Wailuku classroom.
Sanchez called this gathering an opportunity for a reset, a “Day One.” SBA, which has been on Maui since the day after the wildfires, currently has 10 staff on island with plans for growth, he said.
SBA’s mission is to provide subsidized credit for businesses as well as homeowner and business disaster loans with interest rates as low as 2.5 percent.
Sanchez and his staff took feedback from the group. Questions focused on the role of SBA in disaster loan relief for homeowners and renters – not just businesses – refinance options, varied answers to questions, layering of financing and improving dissemination of information on programs.
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U.S. Small Business Administration Associate Administrator Francisco Sanchez Jr. met with about 30 local business and community leaders to discuss SBA’s disaster relief efforts and ways to improve. The gathering was held Thursday at MEO in Wailuku.
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MEO CEO Debbie Cabebe said many local leaders and those impacted by the wildfires were not aware that SBA offered loans to homeowners as well as businesses. Next to Cabebe is MEO Business Development Center Director David Daly.
About 30 local business and community leaders met with U.S. Small Business Administration officials Thursday at MEO.
