Shenandoah Valley SBDC names new director

Shenandoah Valley’s Small Business Development Center, based in Harrisonburg, has named Allison Dugan its newest director. 

Dugan started with the regional SBDC as a part-time program manager in 2014 and became a business adviser in 2015, adding the title of assistant director in 2019. She took on the leadership role May 1, after serving as interim director since March 27, replacing Joyce Krech, who retired after more than two decades.

Dugan said that she plans to leverage the SBDC’s network for resources, including host institution James Madison University, the regional SBDC’s advisory council and other regional business programs to identify and develop services needed to build small businesses.

“The Shenandoah Valley SBDC is very adept at one-on-one advising that can be customized for each individual business,” Dugan said in a statement. “We want to continue to enhance those services by listening to what businesses and localities truly need, finding gaps in services and then using the expertise and resources available throughout our extensive network to drive business opportunities and skills to the next level.”

The regional SBDC is one of 27 Small Business Development Centers across Virginia. They provide no-fee, confidential advising, business training and connections to resources for new and existing businesses. Formed in 1989, the organization is hosted by JMU in partnership with George Mason University and is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and local governments.