SBA Appoints Blink CEO To Federal Regulatory Fairness Board

Blink announced today that SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza has appointed CEO Karen Clark Cole and two others to the U.S. Small Business Administration Region 10 Federal Regulatory Fairness Board. The other appointees are Pacific Northwest Equipment Inc. Vice President Mathew Patrick Thomas and Associated Builders and Contractors Inland Pacific Chapter President and CEO Suzanne Schmidt.

From the U.S. Small Business Association:

Regional Regulatory Fairness Boards in all ten SBA regions represent small businesses’ voice on regulatory fairness issues. Each board comprises five small business owners and serves as a resource and point of contact for small business owners who feel they have experienced excessive federal regulatory enforcement and compliance actions.

Regional Regulatory Fairness Board members advise Amber Richards, the SBA National Ombudsman and Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Enforcement Fairness. The National Ombudsman and Regional Board Members host regulatory fairness hearings, roundtables, and outreach events nationwide. Local small business owners have an opportunity to report concerns about burdensome federal regulations at these regional events.

“As leaders who have established successful small businesses and championed trade groups, Ms. Cole, Mr. Thomas, and Ms. Schmidt are well-positioned to advocate for issues impacting small business owners,” Richards said. “The members of the Regulatory Fairness Board play a critical role in making sure the voice of small business is heard by regulators and help to support regulatory solutions that save small businesses time and money.”

As Region 10 Regulatory Fairness Board members, Cole, Thomas and Schmidt will serve as local resources for small businesses and work with small business trade groups and other entities to address regional concerns about federal regulatory enforcement and compliance issues.

Karen Clark Cole is the CEO and co-founder of Blink Interactive, Inc., a user-experience research and design firm. Founded in 2000, Blink works with firms ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies to create meaningful digital products, brands, and experiences. Blink has studios in Austin, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, with clients that include Amazon, Microsoft, NASA, and Starbucks. Cole holds a degree in art history and visual arts from the University of Victoria and is a graduate of the Information Technology & Multimedia program at Capilano University in Vancouver. She can be reached by phone at (206) 595-2862, or by email at [email protected].

Mathew Patrick Thomas is the vice president and head of sales at his family-owned business Pacific Northwest Equipment, Inc. The company leases dry, platform, tank, chassis, custom equipment, refrigerated and insulated containers, and provides container designing, repairs, and trucking services. The company, founded in 1980, operates and owns two shipping container terminals using two modes of freight – truck and rail – that facilitate trade through the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. Thomas can be reached by phone at (206) 730-8310, or by email at [email protected].

Suzanne Schmidt is the president/CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors Inland Pacific Chapter, a national construction industry trade association representing nearly 21,000 member companies. The organization advocates workforce development, safety services, and networking for its members. Schmidt also serves on the Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation Board and is a member of the of the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees. Schmidt can be reached by phone at (509) 991-5645, or by email at [email protected].

The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA), which created the SBA Office of the National Ombudsman, also created five-member Regulatory Fairness Boards in each of the SBA’s 10 regions. The members of the Regulatory Fairness Boards represent the small business community to provide insights on immediate regulatory challenges facing small business owners – perspectives that are critical to eliminating ineffective, duplicative, or outmoded regulatory barriers to small business.

For more information about the SBA Office of the National Ombudsman, visit https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/oversight-advocacy/office-national-ombudsman.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small-business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit sba.gov.

About Blink

Blink is the user experience firm for the world’s leading companies. We use evidence-driven design to create products that people use, love, and remember. With studios in Austin, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, Blink brings two decades of experience to research, design, and strategy for clients such as Amazon, Microsoft, NASA, and Starbucks. Learn more at blinkux.com.

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Contact: Sara Keats
Sr. Marketing Manager, Blink
[email protected]
267.693.7289