Isenberg Appoints Paula Murphy as Director of Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network

The Isenberg School of Management has appointed Paula Murphy as the new state director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network.

Headquartered at Isenberg, the MSBDC is a federal-state partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and a consortium of higher education institutions that provides free, confidential advising and training to thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses across the commonwealth through six regional business advisory centers and specialized programs in government contracting, technology commercialization, and international trade.

The partnership also provides internships for Isenberg School students and has an impact in the classroom, as MSBDC business advisors teach a popular Isenberg School course that highlights their experiences with real businesses and students in Isenberg's senior-year capstone strategy course work on case projects involving MSBDC clients.

Murphy founded and directed the Massachusetts Export Center, the MSBDC network's international trade arm, in 1994. Under her leadership, the center became one of the nation's most respected export-assistance programs, helping Bay State companies achieve more than $200 million in annual export sales and earning multiple national honors, including the U.S. Small Business Administration's Excellence and Innovation Award and the Presidential E Award-the federal government's highest recognition for contributions to American exports.

As state director, Murphy will oversee the network's nine offices across the commonwealth, including the MSBDC state office in Amherst, regional centers in Newton, Fall River, Pittsfield, Salem, Springfield, and Worcester, as well as the Massachusetts Export Center and Government Sales Center.

A complete announcement of Murphy's appointment can be found on the Isenberg website and more information about the MSBDC can be found at https://www.msbdc.org.