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SBTDC hires small business counselor
By Scott Bigelow
 As
an engineering student, Alban S. Burney helped finance his college education
with a part-time job at Blockbuster Video. He worked his way up the
ladder to manage eight stores for the giant retailer.
Burney is the new small business counselor for the Small
Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). His offices
are at the Regional Center for Economic, Community and
Professional Development at UNC Pembroke.
A Columbus County native, Burney graduated from North Carolina A&T
with a degree industrial engineering. His professional experience includes
international consulting work. He jointly reports to Sylvia Pate, director
of the Regional Center and Greg Taylor, Cape Fear regional manager for
the SBTDC.
Burney said he is enjoying working at UNC Pembroke.
"The staff at the Regional Center is extremely helpful, and the
atmosphere on campus is electric," he said. "You can feel
the energy here just walking on campus."
The new small business counselor began seeing clients in late April.
His role is to help start-up and existing businesses with their planning
needs, including assisting business with creating business plans to
seek financing.
The SBTDC also assists small businesses in research, training and marketing.
Burney will serve Robeson, Scotland, Richmond and Moore counties. He
will work closely with the Regional Center and Director Sylvia Pate.
"We are so appreciative to have Alban on board because this position
was vacant for over three years due to budget limitations," Pate
said. "The services provided by the SBTDC are in demand in our
regional and compliment the mission and services of the Regional Center.
Our efforts are focused more on economic development, but with a growing
emphasis on small business development."
"With our pending move to COMtech, our efforts become more focused
on assisting businesses locate at COMtech," the Regional Center
director said.
Burney's most recent job was with the rural scholars program for the
Duke University Endowment. He also worked as an engineer for giant pharmaceutical
company Johnson and Johnson and as a math teacher and football coach
at South Columbus High School.
A Chadbourn, N.C. resident, Burney is very active in his church and
in community affairs. He works with the Young Adult Missionary Department
of the 1st Missionary Church. He is a member of the NAACP and a volunteer
tutor with the DREAM Center in Whiteville, N.C.
A graduate of West Columbus High School, Burney lists computing and
Web site design among his interests.
Small Business Counselor Alban Burney may be contacted at 910.522.8410
or by email at alban.burney@uncp.edu.
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