UND Nistler College of Business & Public Administration appoints Tiffany Ford as State Director for the North Dakota Small Business Development Network.
The University of North Dakota Nistler College of Business & Public Administration is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Tiffany Ford as the State Director for the North Dakota Small Business Development Network.
The UND Center for Business Engagement & Development is an internal ‘umbrella’ department for UND for the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers program (ND SBDC), the North Dakota Procurement Technical Assistance Centers programs (ND PTAC) and the North Dakota – South Dakota Veterans Business Outreach Centers programs (ND-SD VBOC).
These programs are federal-state-local partnership programs that provide training and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses through geographically-dispersed service centers in North Dakota (ND SBDC), offices in Bismarck and Fargo (ND PTAC) and offices at UND (ND-SD VBOC). The Lead Center and its staff are located within the Nistler College in Gamble Hall on the University of North Dakota campus and provide leadership, supervision, service and support for these programs that are part of the North Dakota Small Business Development Network.
“I am honored to transition into the position of Director for the Center for Business Engagement & Development and its programs, ND SBDC, ND PTAC and VBOC of the Dakotas. I extend my gratitude to the search committee and the Dean’s office for their tireless efforts, especially during this period of considerable change. I look forward to the future growth and success of each program, and I am very excited to continue to serve the network, UND, our state, and the small businesses that are the heart of each of our communities. #4Rsmall biz #WeCanHelpWithThat,” says Ford.
In her role, Ford will provide executive leadership, vision, visibility, and strategic direction and relationship management for these federal-state-local partnership programs. Ford earned a Master’s in Business Administration at the Nistler College in 2018 and her Bachelors in Music in 2005. She has held numerous managerial roles, worked for UND in the area of Grants and Contracts for 6 years, and for the past 5 years served in the role of Associate State Director of the ND Small Business Development Centers. In addition, she has served as the Interim State Director for the past 3 months upon the retirement of former State Director David Martin.
“Ford’s innovative and strategic skill set will be a tremendous asset to the continued leadership and direction of these valued programs. Ms. Ford has shown exceptional crisis leadership during this time of Pandemic, by spearheading the efforts to provide support and recovery to small businesses impacted by COVID-19 around the state. I could not be more grateful that she has accepted my offer to move into this role and continue this valuable work across our state,” says Amy Henley, Dean of the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration. UND, the state of North Dakota, and all local businesses will benefit tremendously from Tiffany’s leadership.
