Brooks Named Director of Small Business and Tech Development Center

By University Relations

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mary Beth Brooks is the new director of the University of Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. The center is part of a state and national network that helps small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs make lasting economic and social impacts to their communities.

Brooks joined the U of A on Aug. 27 as center director and executive in residence after three decades of leadership in the banking industry. She held key roles as executive vice president at Arvest Bank and president and CEO of the Bank of Fayetteville. She is active in community outreach, including prior service on the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Northwest Arkansas Council’s Executive Committee.

Brooks was named one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” by U.S. Banker Magazine and honored as the Arkansas Business Journal’s Executive of the Year.

The University of Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center provides training, research and consulting services to existing and potential business owners in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton, Searcy and Washington counties. Through its confidential services to businesses ranging from garage start-ups to high-tech, the center plays a vital role in the regional economic development ecosystem. It is a regional office of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.

“I am thrilled to be working with partners around the state as we grow the center’s services to small businesses in Northwest Arkansas,” said Brooks. “Our center is committed to ensuring existing and aspiring entrepreneurs have the resources and support they need to flourish.”

Brooks will work with the lead Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center in Little Rock and with entrepreneurial support organizations in Northwest Arkansas, including a close relationship with the U of A’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

“Partnerships with financial institutions and business leaders are critical to our mission of supporting and helping grow the state’s economy,” said Stacy Leeds, vice chancellor for economic development. “I can’t imagine a better person to lead our efforts to foster business development across Arkansas."  

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.