SHAHEEN INTRODUCES NEW SMALL BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL, ANNOUNCES UPCOMING SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING FAIR

(Manchester, NH) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen visited a small business in Nashua today to announce the creation of a new Small Business Advisory Council and to offer details about an upcoming Small Business Financing Fair she is organizing to help local small businesses learn about lending resources. Several members of Shaheen's Small Business Advisory Council joined her today during the visit to W.H. Bagshaw Company and will also be present at the June 29^th Small Business Fair. The Council is composed of twenty-six small business leaders from across the state that will advise Shaheen on the challenges and opportunities confronting New Hampshire small businesses.

"The lack of access to credit, rising health care costs and decreased demand are just a few of the major challenges facing New Hampshire small businesses," said Shaheen. "My meetings with small business owners across the state have been a key part to being an effective small business advocate in Washington, and I'm pleased so many small business owners have joined my Advisory Council to continue this important dialogue."

The twenty-six members of Shaheen's Small Business Advisory Council are spread across the entire state and include a broad cross-section of businesses, including banks, renewable energy companies, an auto dealer, a restaurant, and more. Members of the Council will serve as an important link between Shaheen and New Hampshire's small business community, sharing challenges and timely information on how Shaheen can best support New Hampshire's small business economy. Shaheen announced the Council after a visit to W.H. Bagshaw Company in Nashua, where she was joined by Advisory Council members, including Aaron and Adria Bagshaw of W.H. Bagshaw.

"Manufacturing in the U.S. has had its share of challenges, and small businesses like ours are now facing new obstacles with the credit crunch," stated Aaron and Adria Bagshaw. "The fresh response that Senator Shaheen has demonstrated in forming this grassroots council is the best hope we have for getting our concerns heard and issues addressed. We plan on being a solid sounding board for the Senator as she takes New Hampshire business stories to Washington." 

"Now more than ever, small businesses and entrepreneurs show how they are the backbone of NH's economy," said Julie Vogt, a member of Shaheen's Advisory Council and President and CEO of Integrisys Communications Group in Greenland, NH. "As CEO and owner of a small business and through my work on the Board of Directors of the Women's Business Center, I am well aware of the responsibilities that we small businesses have to our customers, our employees and their families, and our communities. I thank Senator Shaheen for giving us a voice."

"Senator Shaheen's initiative to create a Small Business Advisory Council illustrates her leadership in restoring a vital component of our economy," said Christopher Diego, a member of Shaheen's Advisory Council and General Manager of the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield.  "I am honored to be part of this effort and will strive to provide a perspective consistent with the challenges faced by small businesses in Coos County and the State of New Hampshire."

"Small businesses like mine are the economic engine of New Hampshire's economy," said Steve Walker, a member of Shaheen's Advisory Council and President and CEO of New England Wood Pellet of Jaffrey. "For a small business to grow in this economic climate, we need all the help we can get.   I am so pleased to be able to assist Senator Shaheen in shaping the future of New Hampshire's business community."

Shaheen today also provided details of her upcoming Small Business Financing Fair to help put New Hampshire small businesses in touch with the financial and business counseling resources they need in this difficult economic climate. The fair, which will be held on June 29^th, will bring together government, private and non-profit organizations dedicated to helping businesses secure the financing they need so that their businesses not only survive these difficult times, but flourish in the years ahead.  Businesses from around the state are encouraged to attend and participate in the event.

Below is a full list of Senator Shaheen's Small Business Advisory Council:

• Peter Antoinette, Nanocomp Technologies, Inc., President & CEO, Concord
• Tom Avallone, Cobb Hill Construction,President, Concord
• Aaron Bagshaw, WH Bagshaw, Inc, President, Nashua
• Adria Bagshaw, WH Bagshaw, Inc, Vice President, Nashua
• Philip Bryce, fountains america, President, Pittsfield
• Warren Daniel, NH Small Business Development Center, Seacoast Regional Director, Rochester
• Christopher Diego, Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, Managing Director, Whitefield
• Joanne Donoghue, Mascoma Corporation, Operations Manager, Lebanon
• Janet Dunican, North American Equipment Upfitters, President & CEO, Hooksett
• Michael Dunican, North American Equipment Upfitters, Vice President, Hooksett
• Jameson French, Northland Forest Products, Inc, CEO, Kingston
• Jim Grady, LighTec, Inc, President, Merrimack
• Donna Gaudet Hosmer, AutoServ Family of Dealerships, General Counsel/Business Owner, Concord, Tilton, Belmont, Plymouth
• Ginny Jawidzik, Omega Smart, Owner, Londonderry
• William Kanteres, Kanteres Real Estate, President, Manchester
• Patti Kemen, Re/Max Legacy, Broker/Owner, Dover
• Mary Ann Kristiansen, The Hannah Grimes Center, Executive Director, Keene
• Mark Lane, Coed Sportswear, Inc., President, Newton
• William Langille, Batchelder Biodiesel Refineries, Partner, Derry
• Dianne Mercier, Ocean National Bank, President, Portsmouth
• Joe Reilly, Centrix Bank, President & CEO, Bedford
• Michael Satzow, North Country Smokehouse, President, Claremont
• Dorthea Seybold, OVP Management, Inc., General Manager, Conway
• Julie Vogt, Integrisys Communications Group, Inc, President/CEO, Greenland
• Steven Walker, New England Wood Pellet, President, Jaffrey
• Wally Zaremba, RAM Printing, President, East Hampstead