A member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet visited the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta last week.
Linda McMahon is the head of the Small Business Administration, or SBA, and she spent Friday morning in Bethel touring local facilities and meeting with local business owners and CEOs at Yuut Elitnaurviat.
McMahon then took a crowded boat to Kwethluk for lunch where she visited the construction site of the village’s new state-of-the-art school.
The trip was one of many for McMahon, who has promised to visit each of the SBA’s 68 offices across the country.
She’s trying to raise awareness about the many opportunities that her department provides.
“SBA is actually an incredibly well-kept secret,” she said.
The SBA offers mentoring for entrepreneurs and guarantees loans for small businesses.
Businesses aren’t always aware of these resources, according to McMahon.
McMahon also discussed Alaska Native corporations which are businesses themselves. She said that they can take advantage of lucrative government contracts ranging from $7 million to $20 million in size.
“More Alaska Native corporations should take advantage of those government contracts,” McMahon said. “They’re substantial programs.”
Prior to her political career, Linda McMahon and her husband founded Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, where she served as CEO until 2009.
She considers Trump a friend and says that while she never sought or expected to direct the SBA, she is honored to do so.
