Press Release

For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 19, 2011

Contact: Tom Doheny (202) 225-4531 Email: Thomas.Doheny@mail.house.gov

Congresswoman Ellmers Meets with New Members of

Small Business Advisory Council

Ellmers Launches New Council and Meets with Over 40 Local Business Owners

During National Small Business Week

CLAYTON, NC – Congresswoman Renee Ellmers released the following statement following her meeting with local business leaders this afternoon:

"I'm so excited to announce the inaugural launch of my Small Business Advisory Council. Business leaders throughout my district have come out to share their ideas and concerns with me and how federal policies are affecting their progress. With over forty business representatives participating today, this is only the start to what I'm sure will be an effective new platform to open the discussion and make our government accountable. "

In remarks to members of the new Small Business Advisory Council earlier this afternoon, Congresswoman Ellmers highlighted the importance of small businesses and their role as job creators for the economy:

"Small businesses are the life blood of our nation's economy. If we want to get serious about our nation's unemployment crisis, we must look at how to help small business owners prosper. That's why we are here today - so you can help me to better understand what Washington can do to help your business thrive and work together to figure out what can be done to keep your business going, maximize your productivity, and continue creating jobs for our community."

May 16-20th will mark the 48th annual National Small Business Week, a nationally recognized time to celebrate the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of America.  Today's event in Clayton functioned as a “Small Business Listening Session”, where local business leaders had the opportunity to share issues they are facing or concerns they have had regarding government regulations and economic policy. 

As a member of the House of Representatives Small Business Committee, and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology, Congresswoman Ellmers has been proactive in working with local businesses in her district and advancing new initiatives to get the economy back on track while creating jobs. The Small Business Advisory Council will meet on a semi-annual basis and provide an opportunity for small businesses from a variety of industries to comment on the challenges they face and share ideas for how federal policies are hindering job growth and economic prosperity.

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For more information, please visit Congresswoman Ellmers’ website at www.ellmers.house.gov or call (202) 225-4531.

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