2020-2021 Kentucky SBDC
Advisory Board Members
Robert Coffey
Small Business Administration (SBA)
District Director, Louisville, KY
Robert Coffey is a native of Louisville and graduate of Louisville Central High School and the University of Louisville. Robert worked for National City Bank for five years before coming to SBA as a commercial loan officer. Since joining the SBA Kentucky District Office in 1998, Robert has become versatile in several important SBA program areas. Robert’s lending experience made him an important resource to the International Trade partners. For several years, Robert has been Kentucky’s District International Trade Officer. When SBA needed someone to run the Kentucky Minority Business Development Program, Robert became an expert in contracting with the federal government. For several years, Robert has also been the Project Officer on SBA’s Cooperative Agreement with the Kentucky Small Business Development Centers. Robert was promoted to Deputy District Director for the SBA Kentucky District Office in August of 2016. He currently serves as the Kentucky District Director.
Ross Patten, Chairperson
Economic Development Project Manager
City of Covington KY
Ross Patten, EDFP, is the City of Covington’s Economic Development Project Manager. At the City, Ross serves a variety of capacities, including business attraction, incentives, real estate development, and running the city’s Small Business Program. He was awarded City Hall Employee of the Year in 2017 and will serve as the Chair on the Kentucky Small Business Development Center’s Advisory Board in 2020. Previously, he served as the Development Officer for the City of Cincinnati to the “Uptown” neighborhoods, the second largest employment hub in the Greater Cincinnati MSA. Ross has also been recognized by WCPO as a “Next Nine” Young Cincinnati Leaders to Watch and selected into the Cincy Next Leadership Program, a leadership program run by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber.
Anne Wingrove
President
Completely Kentucky Inc.
Ann Wingrove has worked extensively in and for small businesses. She has opened and operated four small businesses, Completely Kentucky, Capital Gift Shop, Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe and DLH Properties. Completely Kentucky opened in 1990. This retail store sells the work of hundreds of Kentucky’s most talented artists, crafts people and artisans. Every sale directly supports these Kentucky family businesses. In addition to creating and managing small businesses, Ann has also served on the Board of the following: Frankfort Tourism Commission (9), Frankfort Chamber of Commerce (6), Downtown Frankfort Inc. (5), Frankfort Plant Board (utility) (8),Frankfort Rotary Club (3), Small Business Retail Council, NRF (6), and lots and lots of committees! All the above experience has enabled Ann to meet and work with hundreds of small business owners, giving her a good understanding of the challenges they face and the needs that many have. Ann looks forward to helping the SBDC in any way she can.
Chris Cribbs, MA
Chris is with the College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment at Kentucky State University (KSU). He also works with the Kentucky Cooperative Extension System and is the KSU State Specialist in Entrepreneurship. He also works with KSU Student Affairs. Chris’ goal is to assist the SBDC in establishing and maintaining a relationship with Kentucky State University’s Cooperative Extension – Community Relation Development and its constituents.
Sherita Miller, MPA
Minority Business Enterprise Liaison
Lexington Fayette Urban County Government
Sherita Miller is a Native of Stanford, Kentucky and has been a resident of Lexington for 8 years. Ms. Miller is the Minority Business Enterprise Liaison with the city of Lexington. Her role is to facilitate full participation of minority, women, and veteran business enterprises in the procurement process. The goal is to have at least 10 percent minority and 3 percent veteran participation on LFUCG’s projects by prime contractors and divisions. She also provides outreach such as assisting with certification, classes on LFUCG’s procurement process and referrals for business development. Ms. Miller is also the Co-Chair of the Lexington Bluegrass Area Minority Business Expo (MBE), and recently became a member of the Kentucky Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) Advisory Board and The Living Arts and Science Center Board. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and an entrepreneur.
Ms. Miller is a graduate of Kentucky State University, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in human resource management and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in business administration with a concentration in management and marketing. Prior to joining the city of Lexington, she worked for the Commonwealth of Kentucky over 13 years with experience working with the Minority and Women Business Enterprise Certification (MWBE) program, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Affirmative Action and procurement. Ms. Miller will bring knowledge and expertise in supplier diversity and the needs of small business owners to the KSBDC Advisory Board.
Aleta Botts
Executive Director
Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development
Aleta Botts is the Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development. Through business planning, financial projections, marketing assistance, and development of capitalization strategies, KCARD provides a wide range of services to entrepreneurs and businesses in the agricultural and food sector in Kentucky. KCARD is a cooperative development center and also works with nonprofit organizations in the agricultural and food space, providing board training and advice to dozens of organizations and cooperatives.
Botts has led KCARD’s technical assistance work with farmers and agribusinesses since 2013. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky and worked for almost ten years on agricultural/rural policy in Washington DC prior to joining KCARD. She lives on a farm in Menifee County with her husband and two children.
Hon. Joshua D. Howard
HOWARD LAW FIRM, PLC
Josh Howard is an Attorney and entrepreneur in the southeastern part of Kentucky- primarily, Pineville, Bell County, Kentucky. Aside from being an attorney, Josh is actively engaged in the revitalization efforts of his hometown and surrounding communities through expanding his real estate endeavors by renovating dilapidated buildings in order to house new businesses; while opening several businesses and retail establishments of his own in the process. In 2015, he was awarded the Community Development Award by the Bell County Chamber of Commerce. A few short years later, in 2018, Josh was awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the Year honor by the Bell County Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Josh serves on the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Board and his local school board, Pineville Independent Schools.
Joshua Ball
Joshua joined Shaping Our Appalachian Region in August 2017 as Associate Executive Director. Born in the southern West Virginia and raised in Martin County in eastern Kentucky, Joshua has extensive experience in higher education, workforce development and community and economic development. Prior to coming to SOAR, Joshua served as Director of Strategic Communications at Big Sandy Community and Technical College. Working under the direction of the President/CEO, he was responsible for the college’s public relations and marketing efforts, web services, grants/sponsored projects, institutional advancement, and the Big Sandy College Educational Foundation, Inc. In 2010, he became the Founding Director of the Eastern Kentucky Distance Learning Initiative which later evolved into Kentucky Teleworks (currently Teleworks USA).
He also served as Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Pikeville Medical Center, as well as Managing Editor of its newspaper, the Medical Leader. Joshua led the team that developed and was awarded a $3.5 million Appalachian Regional Commission POWER grant for the Eastern Kentucky Coal County Transformation program (known as Digital Careers Now), a consortium of industry-led innovation hubs being housed on campuses of Big Sandy Community and Technical College, Hazard Community and Technical College and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Morehead State University. Joshua is also a graduate of the Leadership Kentucky program (2010) and was named Young Professional of the Year by the Young Professionals of Eastern Kentucky in (2011). He has won numerous awards for his writing and photography by the Kentucky Press Association, West Virginia Press Association and the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations. Joshua resides in Johnson County with his wife, Tammy, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who serves as a Division Chair and Professor of Human Services at Big Sandy Community and Technical College and their Airedale, Ellie Mae.
John Moore
As a fourth generation, multiple business owner, John is best described as an entrepreneur. John has experience with start-ups, early stage, mid sized, Fortune 500, online, family owned, generational and businesses in crisis situations. John has experienced first hand the challenges entrepreneurs face dealing with all types of businesses. Business Highlights include: Fund Manager of an Early Stage Venture Fund, Multiple start-ups of online, off-line, retail and consulting businesses, founded, managed and sold an online network of over 400 dealers doing wholesale vehicle transactions, owner/operator of a firm that audited over 300 auto businesses building forecast, financial plans, managed ongoing operations and liquidations during the financial crisis, Founder and Owner of an “active lifestyle” retail business for over seven years, President and Managing Partner of an auto dealer group consisting of 13 franchises and over 300 employees, Partner in multiple commercial real estate locations. John believes the growth of entrepreneurship in our state is the key to our future success and sees the SBDC Advisory Board as a direct opportunity to make a positive impact on the amount of entrepreneurial activity created.