Isabel Guzman

American government administrator and business advocate

Isabella Casillas Guzman[2][3] (born 1970/1971) is an American government official and business activist. She is the 27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration since 2021 during the Joe Biden presidency.

Isabel Guzman
27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Assumed office
March 17, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
DeputyDilawar Syed (nominee)
Preceded byJovita Carranza
Personal details
Born1970/1971 (age 53–54)[1]
Burbank, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BS)

Isabel Casillas Guzman was born in Burbank, California.[4] She hails from four generations of Texans who originally fled the Mexican Revolution from the states of Aguascalientes and Jalisco. She is also of Jewish, German and Chinese descent.[4]

In the 1960s, Guzman's father moved from Texas to Los Angeles.[4]

Guzman attended Schurr High School in Montebello, CA and graduated in 1988. Guzman earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

In April 2019, she was the director of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate.[5] She was also the deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration in the Obama administration.[6] Guzman was also the director of strategic initiatives at ProAmerica Bank in Los Angeles.

On January 7, 2021 President-elect Joe Biden nominated Guzman to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration under his cabinet.[7][8] Her nomination was confirmed on March 16, 2021 in a 81–17 vote of the United States Senate.[9]

References

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  1. "Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 3.28.19". Governor of California. March 28, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  2. "Supporting California's Small Businesses in Covid-19 Recovery". Northern California Grantmakers. 2020-04-22. Archived from the original on 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  3. Bloomberg, Jennifer Epstein |. "Biden Picks California Official Isabel Guzman to Head SBA". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cheek, Laura (2018-10-15). "Larta Celebrates Diversity Through Latinx Heritage Month". Larta Institute. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  5. "How Business Incubators Help Hispanic Small Businesses Get Off the Ground". www.legalzoom.com. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  6. "Biden picks Isabel Casillas Guzman to lead the SBA - Negocios Now %". Negocios Now. 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  7. "Biden reportedly picks California official Isabel Guzman to head SBA - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  8. "Small business advocate Isabella Casillas Guzman named California Steward Leader of the Year". California Forward. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  9. Rogers, Alex (March 16, 2021). "Senate confirms Isabel Guzman to lead Small Business Administration". cnn.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.