Biden-Harris SHOCKED After Sudden Resignation
(TheRedWire.com) – For a White House to operate well, it needs competent and stable staff leadership. Since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, it appears the staff is leaving at a phenomenal rate. The question is, why?
The president’s A-team has seen 21 people leave and counting. Some are high profile, such as former White House Press Secretary Jenn Psaki. Vice President Kamala Harris’ office has lost at least 13 key staffers who walked away and returned to the private sector. Now, team Biden is losing a top official at the Small Business Administration (SBA) tasked with creating financial assistance programs for underrepresented small business owners during the pandemic.
Highest-Ranking Black Woman Leaves Administration
Natalie Madeira Cofield made history in 2021 when she accepted Biden’s nomination, and the Senate confirmed her as the assistant administrator for the Office of Women’s Business Ownership in the SBA. Additionally, she was one of the highest-ranking black women in the administration.
Ahead of Women’s Equality Day, Madeira Cofield announced she is resigning to focus on supporting female business leaders outside of government instead of within it.
Before entering public service, the SBA leader was an award-winning entrepreneur with a flair for economic activism. She counseled CEOs of large companies, executives of international businesses, White House officials, local politicians, and community activists and leaders.
Black women represent the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs in the US. Nearly 2.7 million own businesses across the country, accounting for 42% of all females starting a new company from 2014 to 2019. Yet, black women business owners also saw the most significant decline during the pandemic. In April 2020, they declined by 19.8%.
Cofield Works To Turn Around Prospects For Women, Especially For Those of Color
When she came on board with the SBA, the situation for female entrepreneurs and the economic recovery were horrible. Madeira Cofield created and funded the most extensive expansion of the Women’s Business Center (WBC) networking in the history of the SBA. The agency added 146 locations in every state, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. WBCs help them start and grow their businesses.
Tene Dolphin, executive director of the National Women’s Business Council, said Madeira Cofield made incredible strides in uplifting women leaders. The soon-to-be former SBA leader said her appointment was meaningful, and she’s proud of the agency’s work during her tenure. She said she plans to continue her career outside of the government in a way she could not do within the administration.
Copyright 2022, TheRedWire.com
