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MILLIGAN COLLEGE , TN (Feb. 26 , 2004) — Students and regional business leaders will have the opportunity to hear Thomas M. Sullivan, chief counsel for advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration, next Thursday, March 4, during Sullivan’s visit to the Milligan campus and Johnson City.
Sullivan is scheduled to be in the Tri-Cities on Thursday to lead a roundtable discussion at the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce. His visit to Milligan is sponsored by the college’s MBA program and Area of Business.
“ As he planned his visit to our region, Sullivan’s staff asked to visit Milligan specifically because of our MBA program’s unique focus and commitment to business ethics and integrity,” said Bill Greer, chair of the area of business.
Named by Fortune Small Business magazine as one of the “Power 30 most influential folks in Washington ” in September 2000, Sullivan was appointed to his present position with the SBA in 2002 by President George W. Bush.
As chief counsel, he heads a team of attorneys and economists who work to elevate small business’ visibility within all levels of government. Part of their efforts includes removing regulatory barriers to entrepreneurial growth, conducting economic research and publishing data on small businesses’ contributions to the economy.
Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the SBA serves as the watchdog for small business within the federal government. Last year, Sullivan’s office helped save America ‘s small businesses over $21 billion in money they would have spent attempting to comply with federal regulations.
Sullivan’s dedication to small business can be traced to his previous work experience, most recently as the executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Legal Foundation, which provides guidance on legal issues to small businesses and promotes a pro small business agenda in the nation’s courts.
Before taking the helm of the NFIB Legal Foundation, Sullivan served as NFIB’s Regulatory Policy Counsel. There he saw clearly the hurdles small employers face in dealing with the federal government’s legislative and rulemaking processes. His previous government service was in the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Sullivan holds a law degree from Suffolk University in Boston , Mass. , and a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College . He is admitted to both the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.
Sullivan will speak and do a question and answer session with Milligan students and community leaders from 1-3 p.m. in Wilson Auditorium, Hardin Hall. His session is open to the public and free of charge. Following his visit to Milligan, Sullivan will lead a roundtable discussion at the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce.