SBA Rural Advocacy Roundtable

Event description

We want to hear from you!

Small business owners are invited to join a roundtable to voice their concerns with federal regulations. This in-person event is an opportunity to:

• Meet the SBA Regional Administrator for Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington)
• Meet the Natural Rural Affairs Advocate from the SBA Office of Advocacy
• Learn how the SBA and the SBA Office of Advocacy are working to reduce barriers for small business
• Discuss regulatory issues, share your feedback, and voice your concerns with proposed regulations that will impact your business

Apollo Fuhriman, SBA Regional Administrator

Apollo Fuhriman is the Pacific Northwest Regional Administrator serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. He previously served as the regional advocate with the SBA Office of Advocacy during the first Trump Administration working to find and cut unnecessary regulations.

In addition to his work at the SBA Office of Advocacy, Mr. Fuhriman held roles in both the public and private sectors including at Microsoft, at the U.S. Department of Commerce, in professional baseball with the San Francisco Giants, and clerked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle.

Throughout his career, he has consistently championed the needs of small businesses and advocated for the reduction of unnecessary regulatory burdens. He earned his bachelor’s of science at Brigham Young University, his master’s of science at the University of Oregon and his juris doctor at Seattle University.

Joe Knilans, National Rural Affairs Advocate, SBA Office of Advocacy

Joe Knilans is a dedicated advocate for small businesses, currently serving as the National Rural Affairs Advocate for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. He holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Knilans previously represented Janesville, Wisconsin, as an elected member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Following his tenure in the Assembly, he served as Deputy Director of the Office of Business Development under Governor Scott Walker, where he collaborated with small businesses statewide to reduce regulatory burdens. In 2018, Knilans was appointed National Rural Affairs Advocate, focusing on alleviating federal regulatory challenges for small businesses in rural communities across the United States. Before returning to this role, he worked as a regional sales representative for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

In his current position, Knilans represents rural small businesses and communities with populations under 50,000, championing their interests and fostering economic growth.

About the SBA Office of Advocacy

As the independent voice for small businesses with the federal government, the SBA Office of Advocacy advances the views and concerns of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. By conducting small business outreach, commenting in the federal regulatory process, and helping agencies develop less burdensome regulations, the Office of Advocacy amplifies the voice of small business owners in the regulatory space.

Learn more: SBA Office of Advocacy