Jayne Armstrong isn’t sure why it took so long to get to Iowa.

The new director of the Iowa District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration spent a majority of her life on the East Coast, attending college at West Virginia University. Prior to joining the SBA’s Iowa District Office, Armstrong worked as district director of the SBA’s Virginia, Delaware and West Virginia offices. Before starting her career with the SBA, Armstrong worked in advertising, high-tech economic development and higher education development fields in North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. 

But the diehard Mountaineers fan, seeking a new area of the country to call home, researched markets and ultimately decided to come to Iowa.

“I was impressed with the economic development infrastructure here and the collaborative nature of businesses,” Armstrong said. “I am so impressed with Iowa. I’ve never lived in the Midwest before, and it was a move I should have made 10 or 15 years ago.”

Why did you choose this career path?
While in college, I was student body president. West Virginia University is one that’s very involved in higher education issues at the national level. A lot of leadership in the state consists of those who were involved in student government. Initially, I worked in advertising but got into economic development via the journalism route. My passion for small business really came out during that period. I had worked on an initiative led by a former governor and West Virginia state senator. Everyone working together with a defined strategy exposed me to many things and helped me find my niche.

Why was the Iowa District Office a good fit for you?
Having worked in different states and on economic development strategies at a national level, I’ve really gained a different perspective and I hope I can bring those perspectives to the table. I’ve also worked with so many different industries – aquaculture, microbrewing, manufacturing – and while some might be relevant and some won’t, I can bring all those experiences to the table. 

What’s a day in your current role look like?
I started in January and have yet to see a “typical” day. What I’ve tried to do is wrap my arms around Iowa and understand the state’s small business community. What issues does it face where SBA can be part of the solution? Where are the gaps? In government today, we have to work smarter because resources are limited. We’re also all about partnerships and collaboration. I’ve spent these first few months trying to get a good sense of Iowa’s economic development infrastructure, where the SBA can be more effective, and where we can work together with others.

What challenges does the SBA face right now?
In today’s world, we face challenges trying to operate with less federal resources. This means we have to work smarter and multitask like never before. We have to be as efficient as we can with taxpayer dollars. We have an excellent team here, and one thing we need to do is evaluate our markets and strategize to whom we need to reach out. We need to increase awareness of SBA programs and services and expand our statewide visibility. A lot of people are pointing to (the most recent American Express OPEN study) ranking Iowa 51st when it comes to women-owned businesses. That’s another area of expertise I bring to the table, and I’m looking forward to doing a lot on that side of small business, as well as targeting minority- and veteran-owned businesses.

Have you set additional goals for the organization?
I hope to get out and start identifying opportunities and key organizations we should be working with. You will probably see us working with organizations where there haven’t been close relationships in the past. You will see our team putting this together and developing a strategy, and by fall, we should have a better feel for how we will roll out and implement this.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Right now, I am in the process of joining Rotary. I’ve been involved with that for 25 years, as well as the National Association of Women Business Owners for 21 years. I dedicate a lot of volunteer hours to community involvement and working with organizations that support higher education and women’s issues. I’m also an adventurer. I love to travel internationally and visit interesting places. My last trip was to Vietnam and Cambodia. I’ve seen the pyramids in Egypt, I’ve walked on hot coals, and I’ve went hot air ballooning in Turkey. Iowa State (University) fans won’t like it, but I’m a season ticket holder to West Virginia Mountaineers sports. I’m excited that I’ll still get to see them play here.