Janita Russell Stewart, Vicksburg native, is a graduate of the U.S. Small Business Administration's District Director Candidate Development Program, and received her B.S. Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Stewart has over 30 years of Federal service, and in addition to the SBA, she has served at the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers in the Vicksburg and New Orleans Districts. While at the Corps, she served in the Procurement and Contracting Division as Procurement Analyst, and held the position of Special Assistant and Advisor to the Commander and District Engineer for the Small Business Programs. At SBA, she's previously worked in the Minority Enterprise Development Division as Business Opportunity Specialist and Assistant District Director for Minority Enterprise Development and Contracting Officer where she was responsible for managing an 8(a) portfolio of 70 firms and awarded in excess of $250 million in federal contracts. She also took on rotational assignments in directing the SBA offices located in Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.

As SBA District Director for the state of Mississippi, Stewart is responsible for supervising the activities of 12 employees in the Mississippi District and Gulfport Branch Offices. Her responsibility also entails the supervision of the delivery of a wide range of SBA programs and services to the small business community, including financial assistance, entrepreneurial development, minority enterprise development, and related special emphasis programs such as women's business ownership, international trade and veterans affairs. She manages a small business loan portfolio of approximately 6,627 loans worth more than $13.8 Billion. She oversees the State Office of the Small Business Development Centers at the University of Mississippi and its 9 Subcenters, the coordination of 2 Chapters of Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), as well as an 8(a) contractor portfolio of approximately 83 certified firms.

Some of Stewart's associations/affiliations include the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce and its Small Business Council; Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce; Mississippi Economic Council; Mississippi Minority Business Alliance; Past Member Board of Directors of the United Way of the Capital Area, Inc.; Member, Leadership Jackson Alumni; Past President of the Greater Jackson Area Federal Executive Association; Past Member of the Governor's Special Task Force for Economic Development Planning; 1999 Federal Manager of the Year Honoree; RMA Member; Recipient of the Greater Jackson Area Federal Executive Association's Pacesetter Award; 1998 and 2001 Honoree of the Mississippi Business Journal's 50 Leading Business Women; Mississippi Business Journal Woman of the Year Advisory Committee; Named one of 50 of the Most Influential African Americans in Mississippi in 2004.