Senate confirms Isabel Guzman as new SBA administrator

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Isabel Guzman as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s new administrator, in an 81-17 vote. 

Guzman is the first Latina to serve in President Joe Biden’s cabinet.

“Mrs. Guzman’s commitment to equity and her deep knowledge of the needs of small businesses will make her a strong advocate for all small businesses in the Biden Administration,” said Maryland Congressman Ben Cardin, chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, in a statement.

Guzman, who was nominated in January, last served as the director of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate. A small business leader herself, Guzman is the cofounder of GovContractPros, a company which helps small businesses navigate federal prime and sub-contract opportunities. 

From 2014 to 2017, she served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the administrator at the SBA, under the Obama Administration.

“The [Congressional Hispanic Caucus] pushed hard for the appointment of a Latina to President Biden’s cabinet, and we are thrilled with the choice of Ms. Guzman to lead the Small Business Administration,” said CHC chair and Maryland Rep. Raul Ruiz, in a statement following her confirmation vote. “Ms. Guzman will play an essential role in ensuring federal aid reaches minority-owned businesses — many of which have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”