Dorothy “Dottie” Overal is the District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Oklahoma District Office located in downtown Oklahoma City. She was appointed to this position in November 2000. With a staff of 14, Dottie is responsible for overseeing the delivery of SBA’s many services and programs to the 77 counties in the Sooner State.

Dottie has been instrumental in directing Agency policy as a member of the Administrator’s Field Advisory Council. She has served has Region VI Acting Administrator for nine months where she was responsible for guiding Agency programs across a 10-District region, during an interim period of White House Administration transition.

In 1995 Dottie was selected for participation in the SBA’s District Director Candidate Development Program. While completing the program she served in management positions in Wyoming, Arkansas, South Florida, California and Washington, DC. Upon graduation she was assigned as the Deputy District Director in Los Angeles, California, one of the Agency’s largest District Offices.

In 1970, Dottie started her SBA career in the Disaster Assistance Program in Gulfport, Mississippi after Hurricane Camille. For the next 21 years she continued her vocation in the areas of Business Development and Loan Servicing. In 1992 she moved to Washington, DC when SBA Administrator Patricia Saiki appointed her Director of the Office of Advisory Councils.

Dottie grew up in Philadelphia, and attended Temple University and the University of Southern Mississippi. She resides in Oklahoma City where she has served on numerous professional and philanthropic boards, including the Oklahoma Rural Action Partner Program Advisory Committee; Oklahoma Federal Executive Board; the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology Advisory Committee; Moore Norman Technology Business Development Center’s Advisory Board, Lyric Theatre Associate Board and Carpenter Square Theatre Board of Directors.