Business for Shared Prosperity

CONTACT: Bob Keener, 617-610-6766, bobkeener@businessforsharedprosperity.org

May 14, 2010 -- With financial reform on the line in the Senate, and a new report from the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel showing shrinking lending to small businesses by large banks, business owners from Maine to Oregon, Louisiana to Indiana, are calling on Senators to protect Main Street business, not Wall Street gambling. “Politicians love to point out that most new jobs are created by small businesses. Senators should listen to the business owners who know the difference between gambling and investment, didn’t wreck the economy, and want real reform to prevent a repeat,” said small business owner Lew Prince, Managing Partner of Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis.

“The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce stands squarely behind the needs of America’s job-creating Main Street small businesses in asking Congress to represent our interests by bringing strong transparency, oversight and accountability to Wall Street,” said CEO Margot Dorfman.

Consumer financial protection is one of the hottest areas of disagreement in financial reform. Contrary to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s multimillion-dollar campaign opposing the CFPA, hundreds of business organizations and owners – from auto dealers and medical practices to construction companies and restaurants – signed Business for Shared Prosperity’s Statement in support of a strong, independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Organizational signers include the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, American Made Alliance, Main Street Alliance, American Business Leaders for Financial Reform, Oregon Small Business Council, Richmond, VA Metropolitan Business League, Atlanta Women in Business, Illinois Main Street Alliance, Maine Small Business Coalition, Washington Small Business for Secure Health Care Coalition, Virginia Main Street Alliance and Businesses for a Healthy Montana.

Available for Interview:

Margot Dorfman , CEO. The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce has more than 500,000 members, most of them small business owners.
Statement by Margot Dorfman, CEO, U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Senate Press Conf. on Financial Reform Washington, D.C, April 21, 2010
Contact: Bob Keener, 617-610-6766 (cell)

Frank Knapp Jr., president and CEO, The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.
Statement of Frank Knapp, Jr Senate Press Conference, April 21, 2010
Contact: sbchamber@scsbc.org, 803-600-6874 (cell)

Lew Prince, managing partner of Vintage Vinyl Inc. in St. Louis.
What is the financial industry so afraid of, op-ed distributed by the American Forum.
Contact: 314-494-3690 (cell)

Lya Sorano, Founder, Atlanta Women in Business, and CEO of The Oliver/Sorano Group, Inc., Atlanta, GA.
Consumer protection would help small businesses, The Hill, March 4, 2010
Contact: 770-455-8088

Camille Moran, owner and CEO of Caramor Industries, LLC, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Contact: 318-357-0748

Tim Duncan, Chairman of American Business Leaders for Financial Reform, Cambridge, MA.
The Day After Groundhog Day for Financial Reform, Naked Capitalism blog, March 12, 2010
Contact: 617-213-5053

Richard Eidlin, Principal at Progress Group, a Denver, CO-based strategic planning and business and policy development company, and a leader in the American Sustainable Business Council.
Shield consumers from abuses, Denver Post, March 25, 2010

Additional business people available for media, include:

Wendy Rosen, President, American Made Alliance
Rob Seltzer, Owner/President, Robert S. Seltzer, CPA/PFS, Malibu, CA
Michael Kieschnick, President, CREDO Mobile, San Francisco, CA
Cristina Canazares, Partner, Global Garage, Breckenridge, CO
Steven DiChiaro, President/ Owner, American Income Life-Colorado, Denver, CO
Adnan Durrani, CEO, American Halal Co, Stamford, CT
Kevin Galvin, President, Connecticut Commercial Maintenance, Inc., West Hartford, CT
Paul Baumbach, Managing Partner, Mallard Advisors, LLC, Newark, DE
Jessie Keener, Doctor, Point Pleasant Wellness Spa, Wilton Manors, FL
Jack Shaw, President, Breakthrough Business Technologies, LLC, Marietta, GA
David Hempel, President, Eble Music Co., Iowa City, IA
Joe Alcala, Owner, JB Steel and Construction Inc., Boise, ID
Scot McGavin, Owner, Puentes Language Programs, LLC, Boise, ID
David Borris, Owner, Hels Kitchen Catering, Northbrook, IL
Greg Owen-Boger, President, OwenProCo, Inc., Chicago, IL
John Glenn, Principal, The Glenn Connection, St. Charles, IL
James Jachimiak, Owner, Square Deal Contracting, Franklin, IN
Christopher Pupillo, President, Axis Creative Services, Valparaiso, IN
Rob Howe, President, Sustainnovation, Beverly, MA
Michael Kanter, Chief Visionary Officer, Cambridge Naturals, Cambridge, MA
James Boyle, CEO, Sustainability Roundtable Inc, Lexington, MA
Robert Mauri, Business Partner, Lakeside Dental, Gaithersburg, MD
Tyrone Conard, State General Agent, Conard Agency/ AIL, Lanham, MD
Alan Gregerman, President and Chief Innovation Officer, VENTURE WORKS Inc., Silver Spring, MD
David White, Owner, MD Imported Car Service, Bar Harbor, ME
Halcyon Blake, President, Halcyon Yarn, Inc, Bath ME
John Costin, Owner, Veneer Services Unlimited, Kennebunk, ME
Robert Musolf, V.P./Owner, Micky Sharpz USA, Asheville, NC
Benjamin Collins, Owner, Salins Group, Charlotte, NC
J. Kelly Conklin, President, Foley-Waite Associates, Bloomfield, NJ
Edward Poplawski, Real Estate Broker, EPRE, Inc., Red Bank, NJ
Steve Fernlund, Consultant, SFG Business Advisors, LLC, Las Vegas, NV
Rick Sprout, Owner, Two Rivers Bookstore, Binghamton, NY
Peter Strugatz, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, IceStone LLC, Brooklyn, NY
Ajax Greene, Co-Founder, On Belay Business Advisors Inc, Gardiner, NY
Sandy Maine, CEO, Sunfeather Natural Soap Company, Potsdam, NY
Jeri Vespoli, President, Collaborative Marketing Services, Brecksville, OH
Austin Stumpff, Vice President, Urban Elements, Tulsa, OK
Rhonda Ealy, Secretary/Treasurer, Strictly Organic Coffee Co., Bend, OR
Nancie Koerber, Owner, Champions Realtime Training, Central Point, OR
Mark Kellenbeck, COO, Cascade Management, Grants Pass, OR
Daniel Davis, CEO, Biodynamix LLC, Jacksonville, OR
Eric Friendenwald-Fishman, President, The Metropolitan Group, Portland, OR
Moses Ross, President, M. J. Ross Group, Inc., Portland, OR
John Fagot, President, Airplay Information Resources, Georgetown, TX
Jeanne Boiseneau, Owner, JB Casting, Richmond, VA
Blue Crump, CEO, Cityspace Solar, Inc., Richmond, VA
Brian Radford, Owner, HK on the Bay, Virginia Beach VA
Joseph Gary Mazzilli, President, Outsource Estimating Inc., Williamsburg, VA
Jeffrey Hollender, Executive Chairman/CoFounder, Seventh Generation, Burlington VT
Molly Moon Neitzel, Owner, Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream, Seattle, WA
Gary Lemke, Owner, Gary L. Lemke Landscaping, Potter, WI

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