HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Small Business Development Center Network, headquartered at the Montana Department of Commerce, announced Tuesday that Regional SBDC Director for the Wolf Point Region Shandy Hanks Moran has been named the 2020 Montana “State Star.” The State Star is a national honor that recognizes outstanding performers from Small Business Development Centers around the country.

“Shandy’s work in Northeast Montana is paramount to the success of so many small businesses,” said Montana SBDC State Director Chad Moore. “Shandy’s commitment to supporting the growth and development of small businesses across the region is remarkable, and this is well-deserved recognition.” 

Moran‘s SBDC office at Great Northern Development Corporation in Wolf Point provides customized one-on-one consulting and training for start-up and existing businesses in a seven-county region which includes Daniels, Garfield, McCone, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, and Valley counties.

“The Wolf Point Center is so broad and sparsely populated that the challenges seem immense to provide high-quality service to that part of the state,” said Great Falls Regional SBDC Director Jason Nitschke who won the State Star award in 2018. “Her consistency in impacts, including jobs supported, training events, counseling hours, and business starts year-over-year is impressive. To me, those numbers suggest she is well respected by her clients and earning a solid reputation within the entrepreneurship community.” ​

Shandy Hanks Moran joined the SBDC network in 2017. Over the last three years, she has consulted more than 160 clients, assisted with launching more than 15 businesses, and helped her clients to secure more than $4.3 million in financing. 

“I have relied on the expertise the SBDC has provided me for financial projections, business planning, and loan packaging,” said Dr. Mark Zilkoski, owner of Missouri Breaks Brewing in Wolf Point and one of Moran’s clients. “We would not have been able to expand to reach our production goals without Shandy’s assistance.”

-30-

About Montana Small Business Development Centers The Montana SBDC Network is funded in-part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Montana Department of Commerce that began in 1989. The Montana SBDC Lead Center, located in Helena, oversees administrative operations with satellite offices throughout the state. Montana SBDC's certified Business Consultants provide one-to-one management advising to small businesses at no cost to clients. For more information, visit sbdc.mt.gov.