FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nancy Kooienga
Director, Marketing & Communications
Phone: 616.210.9596
Email: kooiengn@gvsu.edu
Michigan Small Business Development Center Promotes Daniel Yoder to Upper Peninsula Regional Director
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Michigan Small Business Development Center (Michigan SBDC) promoted Daniel Yoder to the position of Upper Peninsula Regional Director, succeeding retiring director Laura Mahronic. Yoder joined the Michigan SBDC in 2019 as a Senior Business Consultant and was promoted to Associate Regional Director in 2024.
In his new role, Yoder will continue to serve small and medium-size businesses, and will assume the leadership, planning and administration of the Upper Peninsula Region. The region includes 15 counties and is hosted by Michigan Technological University.
“Daniel’s deep commitment to our clients and our communities makes him the perfect choice to assume leadership of the Upper Peninsula Region,” said retiring regional director Laura Marohnic. “His managerial style is very collaborative, which will suit our team well.”
“Michigan Tech is honored to serve as the host for the SBDC regional office,” said Senior Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation Jim Baker. “With Daniel at the helm, the team will continue to provide exceptional and highly impactful support for small businesses across the entire region.” Baker continued, “In addition to Daniel’s day-to-day support of client companies, his ongoing support of the student intern program created by retiring director Marohnic has contributed to scaling the impact of the Michigan SBDC, both to the business community and to the lives and careers of our students.”
“I’m honored to work with such a client-focused team while continuing to deepen the Michigan SBDC’s relationships with our U.P. economic development partners,” responded Yoder.
While with the Michigan SBDC, Yoder has helped coach and guide hundreds of business owners and entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses. Prior to the Michigan SBDC, he spent nearly 20 years in the banking and finance industry, working as a personal banker, in branch management, and as a vice president and commercial lender. Yoder has received his professional certification as a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional and is part of the Michigan SBDC’s State Export Assistance Team.
He graduated from Michigan Technological University with an MBA, and from Wright State University with a bachelor’s degree.
The Michigan SBDC provides no-cost consulting, business education, market research and technology commercialization to new and existing businesses throughout Michigan’s 83 counties. Michiganders looking to start or grow a business can connect to free export services, market research, cybersecurity resources and business education through the Michigan SBDC.
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About the Michigan Small Business Development Center
The Michigan Small Business Development Center’s mission is to provide no-cost consulting, business education, market research and technology commercialization to new and existing businesses throughout Michigan’s 83 counties. Michigan SBDC services are available through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners may access the services of their nearest Michigan SBDC office by visiting michigansbdc.org.
The Michigan SBDC is hosted on a state level by Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business. Regional hosts include Saginaw Valley State University, Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, Mid Michigan College, Michigan Technological University, Kettering University, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College and Lansing Community College.