Office of Advocacy Appoints Adrienne Vallejo Foster to Serve as Regional Advocate for Great Plains States

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Adrienne Vallejo Foster has been appointed to serve as the Region 7 Advocate for the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration. In this role, Foster will advocate on behalf of small businesses in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. She will work with small business owners, state and local government agencies, state legislators, and trade associations, to be their voice in Washington, D.C., regarding burdensome regulations and other small business roadblocks.

“Small businesses in the Great Plains have a strong advocate in Ms. Foster,” said Acting Chief Counsel Major L. Clark, III. “Her strong background in local government and private sector advancing small business interests has well prepared her for her new role as Region 7 Advocate.”

Foster stated, “It is an honor and a privilege to serve the small businesses in Region 7 and under the leadership of President Trump. The economy is stronger than it has been in decades, and opportunities abound for small businesses to flourish. I look forward to assisting the small businesses in our region, helping them to grow and prosper by working to reduce the number of regulations that are imposing excessive burdens and strengthening their voice in Washington, D.C.”

Foster has worked with small businesses for the last 15 years as a city council member and Mayor of Roeland Park, Kansas, and as executive director of the Governor’s Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission under Governors Brownback and Colyer.  She facilitated the transfer of best business practices to over 500 small business owners and entrepreneurs, primarily assisting small women-owned and minority businesses, thereby dramatically increasing the contribution of small businesses to the Kansas economy. She won Latina of the Year award in 2017 from the National Latino Peace Officer Association.

The Office of Advocacy has regional advocates in each of the 10 federal regions, plus a national rural affairs advocate, and a manufacturing and technology advocate. This team identifies new issues and concerns of small business owners. They work closely with local government officials, state officials and legislators, and the Chief Counsel for Advocacy to develop programs and policies that support small business growth.

 Adrienne V. Foster is located at SBA Region 7 Headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. and can be reached at adrienne.foster@sba.gov.