SBA Mississippi’s Janita Stewart celebrates 50 years of federal service

• Stewart says small business is what actually sustains our local, state, and national economies.

On Dec. 26, Janita Russell Stewart will celebrate a milestone most employees never reach. She’ll celebrate 50 years of federal civil service, with nearly 30 years as district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Mississippi.

I don’t remember a time when Janita wasn’t the leader of SBA Mississippi. She handed me the SBA Mississippi Small Business Journalist Award in 1999, and again in 2006. The recognition was very encouraging to me as an entrepreneur, as she has done for countless other small business owners. Then I took a long siesta, returned to learn sadly that our SBA colleague, Gary Reed, had passed on, and she’s still there, gracious and supportive as always. 

A Vicksburg native, Janita earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) while also serving at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Vicksburg and New Orleans Districts in various capacities, eventually as Special Assistant and Advisor to the Commander and District Engineer for the Corps’ multi-million-dollar small business programs.

After graduating from the ultra-select U.S. SBA District Director Candidate Development Program, she took rotational assignments directing SBA offices in Atlanta, Ga., and Charlotte, NC. She joined SBA Mississippi as District Director in the mid-1990s. For the year 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration tapped Janita for an additional role, as acting Regional Administrator for the SBA’s southeastern region, covering Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The region involves 6.9 million small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Among Janita’s countless associations and affiliations through SBA: former member of the Governor’s Special Task Force for Economic Development Planning; named Federal Manager of the Year by the Greater Jackson Area Federal Execution Association; received the Greater Jackson Area Federal Executive Association’s Pacesetter Award; named among Mississippi’s 50 Most Influential African Americans and 50 Leading Business Women. Gateway Rescue Mission, Habitat for Humanity Women Build, Mississippi Food Network, LIFE Outreach International, and Doctors Without Borders are among her favorite charities and ministries.

Janita chatted with Magnolia Tribune about her career journey, preparation for her role as district director of SBA Mississippi, how her work fits into economic development, and programs that benefit the state’s small business community. 

What did you do in between your job with the Corps as a Contract Specialist Trainee and the SBA? 

After participating in the Cooperative Education Program at the USM, I worked alternating semesters – a semester at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and going to college the other semesters. Then after graduating from USM, the Corps hired me permanently as a Contract Specialist Trainee. From there, I was promoted to Contract Specialist, then to Procurement Analyst, and Special Assistant and Advisor to the Commander and District Engineer on the agency’s multi-million-dollar small business contracting programs. I had this position in Mississippi and Louisiana, which led me to the SBA.

What preparation did you have for the position of SBA Mississippi District Director? 

I applied for the SBA’s District Director Candidate Development Program. I was one of over 250 applicants nationwide, made the short list, was interviewed and was one of only four accepted into this program. I was assigned to a very seasoned Senior Executive Service District Director from Georgia as my mentor, who graciously led and guided me through this program, while giving me practical work experience in leadership as his Acting Deputy District Director.

How does your work fit into economic development? 

SBA’s mission of helping people start, grow, and expand a business is economic development. Sounds like a cliché, but small business really is the backbone of and the engine that ignites the economy. Small business is what actually sustains our local, state, and national economies. In Mississippi, 99.3 percent of all businesses are considered small, and nationally, it’s 99.9 percent. There are very few of what we consider to be ‘other than small businesses or large businesses’ in Mississippi and in the country. Of course, another critical component of SBA’s mission is disaster recovery assistance provided to individuals, homeowners, renters, businesses, and non-profits during times of federally declared disasters.

What are your most popular programs? Most underrated programs? Programs that need more awareness? 

Having started in federal government with the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, I was trained and involved in the federal government contracting arena. Although programs under this arena have been around for a long time, I believe small businesses remain out there that don’t pursue doing business with the federal government, which equals missed opportunities to help grow their business as well as not taking advantage of a stream of income that could be lucrative for them. 

Of course, our lending programs are key, because unless someone starting a new business or wanting to expand an existing one can ‘self-finance,’ they’re going to need funding, and the SBA’s flagship 7(a) Guaranty, 504 Certified Development Company, and Microloan programs are designed for eligible, credit-worthy small businesses and entrepreneurs, and the proceeds can be used for legitimate business purposes. 

Our entrepreneurial development programs, which include the assistance given by our funded resource partners—the Network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDC); SCORE – America’s Counselors; our Women’s Business Centers (WBC); and our Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC)—, are critical because the assistance garnered from these organizations gets the business off to the right start. These are the organizations through SBA that people need to reach out to for counseling, training, management, and technical assistance. And the assistance provided is free (paid for by taxpayers) and confidential.

What area(s) of the state need more attention? 

Most certainly every state has its challenges, and for Mississippi, the Delta seems to be an area where more support is warranted.

What else would you want the business community to know? 

First, always take advantage of the resources that are available to you, named in this piece: SBA, SBDC, SCORE, WBCs and VBOC. Others are out there, for example, with the State of Mississippi. We’re happy to assist and support you. 

Secondly, if you haven’t established a relationship with a lending institution, please proceed and do so. SBA partners with a host of in- and out-of-state banks and non-bank lending institutions and Certified Development Companies to provide the much-needed financing that entrepreneurs and small businesses need. 

Thirdly, if the products you sell or services you render are of such a nature that the federal government purchases, it would behoove you to apply for any and all federal government contract certifications you may qualify for, or, if you own a small business with no other tags (for example, woman-owned, veteran, et cetera), get registered to bid on federal government contracting opportunities. It’s an approximately $500 billion annual marketplace and you may be missing out.