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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — State Rep. Edward “Ted” James has been appointed by President Biden as Regional Administrator for the SBA’s South Central Region.

“With his extraordinary dedication to public service and commitment to advancing communities, Ted’s leadership couldn’t come at a more crucial time for small businesses and innovative startups in our South Central region. Ted is an experienced and knowledgeable leader who will help advance the SBA’s programs – including our disaster portfolio. When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated his home state, he was among those on-the-ground helping Louisianans rebuild and recover,” said SBA Administrator Guzman. “Ted is joining a dynamic team of Regional Administrators as the SBA looks ahead to a year filled with new opportunities and new challenges. Together, we will continue to help our small businesses recover, pivot, and grow to power local economies and solve global problems such as climate change, as we build a better America for all of us.”

According to a news release from the U.S. Small Business Administration, in his new position, Rep. James will oversee SBA programs, offices, and operations in the SBA’s Central South region, serving Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.