January 25, 2016
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College is pleased to announce that Elisa Waldman has been selected as the new regional director of the Kansas Small Business Development Center at JCCC. She replaces Malinda Bryan-Smith, who was promoted to director of Grants, Leadership and Development at the college.
Waldman has worked for the Kansas SBDC as a full-time consultant since 2007, helping new and existing small business owners in Johnson, Wyandotte and Miami counties. Previously, she was a client who used Kansas SBDC services to help her start her own business, a paint-your-own pottery studio called Paint, Glaze & Fire. In addition to owning her own business, she launched a consulting firm to help other pottery studios around the country. In 2005, Waldman sold her studio in order to consult full-time; this included consulting part-time for the Kansas SBDC. Prior to opening her business, she taught law school and worked as an attorney.
"Elisa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new leadership role," said Karen Martley, associate vice president of Continuing Education. "Her background as an attorney and small business owner gives her a strong understanding of the issues that her clients face."
Waldman graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and earned her Juris Doctor from George Washington University, where she was managing editor of The George Washington Journal of International Law and Economics.
"I am truly honored to be the director of our talented JCCC SBDC team," Waldman said. "This year, the SBDC is launching several new programs to help existing businesses grow revenues and add jobs through export assistance, government procurement and strategic planning."
The JCCC Kansas SBDC is one of eight regional centers in the state of Kansas and approximately 1,000 centers throughout the United States. The mission of the Kansas SBDC is to increase economic prosperity in Kansas by helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their businesses through professional consulting, training and resources.
Waldman can be reached at 913-469-3878 or via email.
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