Aikta Marcoulier, who has grown the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center into a key player in Colorado Springs, has been named to head the Small Business Administration’s regional office in Denver.

She takes over May 23 as administrator of the agency’s Rocky Mountain regional office, which covers Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Marcoulier replaces Dan Nordberg, who left the agency to become president of Bank of Colorado’s Colorado Springs operations.

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Marcoulier has been executive director of the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, which helps businesses in El Paso, Park and Teller counties by providing free counseling and training programs, for nearly 10 years.

“Aikta is a great asset to our community. It’s not surprising that her work has been recognized with this appointment,” Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said in an email. “Aikta has been a key reason why entrepreneurship in Colorado Springs and El Paso County is thriving. I look forward to seeing Aikta’s impact on the entire Rocky Mountain region.”

It was named the best center in the SBA’s Rocky Mountain region and also received an award for excellence and innovation from SBA’s Colorado division office, both in 2020.

“I’m excited. I have been working with SBA programs as a resource partner for nearly 10 years with an amazing team and now I will be able to help small business, which has become a passion, even more,” Marcoulier said.

“This next step will allow me to help even more businesses with the skill sets I have developed and the understanding I have about the resources available to small businesses.”

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No timetable or process has been developed to replace Marcoulier at the center, she said.

“At a time when a record number of entrepreneurs are applying for new businesses, Aikta will be a valuable addition to our dynamic team of regional administrators as the SBA continues to solve … challenges experienced by our small businesses as they pivot, start, grow, and seize new opportunities presented by a growing economy,” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said Thursday in a news release.

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Before joining the local SBDC, Marcoulier was director of partnership marketing for the Professional Bull Riders for 8½ years and project manager for the Native American Sports Council.

She is involved in the El Pomar Emerging Leaders Program and is a member of the Pikes Peak Workforce Development Board, vice-chair of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, a member of the Pikes Peak Community College Business Advisory Board and president of the Colorado Business Development Foundation.

“Aikta did a great job helping thousands of businesses in our community, especially during the COVID (pandemic). I am thrilled with her appointment and look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role,” said Stan VanderWerf, chair of the El Paso County Board of Commissioners.

Small Business Development Center names new director