Bibi Hidalgo is now SBA’s gov’t contracting associate administrator

      The Small Business Administration has experienced a number of leadership changes in recent days, including a new arrival in the top government contracting post.

      Bibi Hidalgo is now the SBA’s associate administrator for business development and government contracting. She oversees the Small Business, 8(a) Business Development, HUBZone and Women-Owned small business set-aside contracting programs, among others.

      She replaces Francis Spampinato, who came on board in June 2020. Previously, Robb Wong was in the role from April 2017 to March 2020.

      Meanwhile, Biden’s nominee for the top job as the SBA’s Administrator, Isabel Guzman, is still awaiting Senate approval as of press time.

Hidalgo’s past experiences

      Hidalgo most recently helped the Biden-Harris Transition team as its policy leader for the SBA agency review.

      She also acquired direct experience with small business federal contracting as a senior policy advisor in 2010-2011 in the White House under former President Barack Obama.

      In that time, she mobilized staff members at 20 federal agencies to “develop a strategic framework” for increasing contracting for small businesses, including those owned by minorities, women and veterans, according to her LinkedIn profile.

      She also monitored federal agency matchmaking events for small firms and developed policies regarding past performance.

      Hidalgo was raised in a large and politically-connected Cuban family in Miami. Her brother, Patrick Hidalgo, also worked in the White House under Obama.

      In 2014, Bibi and Patrick Hidalgo co-founded Future Partners LLC, a consulting firm of White House officials focused on assisting in creating partnerships for small businesses, especially for minority-owned and women-owned firms.

      Her brother Patrick died suddenly at age 41 in March 2020. Suspected COVID-19 was the cause, according to news reports.

      Bibi Hidalgo also has been a senior advisor at the Treasury Dept., in the Office of Domestic Finance, and at HUD, in strategic planning and economic recovery.

      She has a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Other recent SBA appointees

Office of the Administrator

• Arthur Plews, deputy chief of staff;
• Michael Roth, senior advisor;
• Ann Lewis, senior advisor;
• Scott Harriford, White House liaison

• Cynthia Jasso-Rotunno, Associate Administrator
• Susan Sweetser, Deputy Associate Administrator

• Zina Sutch, Assistant Administrator
• Gaye Walker, Deputy Assistant Administrator

• Mark Madrid, Associate Administrator

More Information:
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3sm1HJT
SBA leadership: https://bit.ly/3btmDrf

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