Jayne Armstrong isn’t sure why it took so long for her 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 die-hard Mountaineers fan and longtime member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, seeking a new area of the country to call home, researched markets and ultimately decided to come here.

In a recent edition of the Business Record, we took a closer look at Armstrong’s background, the road that led her to Iowa, and what she wants to accomplish now that she’s here. However, Armstrong is a champion for female business owners and has a passion for advancing the number of women-owned businesses regardless of where she is located.

Armstrong took the time to answer some exclusive questions for the Lift IOWA e-newsletter. In her responses, she talks about the best way she’s found to lead others and also what she hopes to do to advance Iowa’s standing when it comes to the number of women-owned businesses in the state.

Describe the leadership style you bring to your work.

I’m very hands-on and I have one major rule I always follow — never ask anyone to do something I’m not willing to do myself. I like to get my hands dirty but I also like to lead by example. I’m also very collaborative. People use the word ‘passionate’ to describe me because I truly believe in small business and feel so strongly about small businesses being the real force behind the American economy.

What challenges do you feel women business owners face in Iowa?

There are some strong, successful women business owners here that are knocking my socks off, but they’re not touting their success enough. One thing I love about Iowa is how humble the people are, and you don’t see that all over the U.S. But sometimes that attitude can be detrimental, especially when it comes to growing a business.

What part do you want to play in encouraging growth among Iowa’s women-owned businesses?

We can always raise the bar. We can always do more. There might be some market segments in which women are underrepresented. There are also things we can do to look at the next generation, and some partnerships we can look at. It’s also about empowering young girls and getting them to think about entrepreneurship as an option. There are a lot of future entrepreneurs out there in organizations like the Girl Scouts and others. When I was involved with Girls Inc. in Delaware, we held a lot of small business summer camps where we matched up women business owners who wanted to mentor young students. Maybe there are things along those lines we can do here.

For now, I’m trying to get my arms around some of Iowa’s grass-roots programs and organizations. I think, sometimes, empowering microenterprises is best done at the grass-roots level. Since I’m new I’m still formulating a plan and getting to know everyone and those resources and partnerships to build. I’ve spent a lot of time working in environments that focus on microenterprises and economic literacy, so I can’t say enough for the role those things play in economic development.

What do you feel is the best route to get more Iowa women in leadership positions?

I feel it’s very important for women to pay it forward and work with young girls to develop the next generation. I’ve spent a lot of personal time and through work committed to working in higher education to empower future leaders, whether it’s through mentoring or helping them pick out a college to assisting with a scholarship essay. I’m a firm believer in now only developing yourself, but also trying to open the door for next generation.

CONNECTION POINTS

Connect with Armstrong by email or phone at  515-284-4026.

 If you are a Business Record Insider, read the full interview with Armstrong at businessrecord.com.