The USDA National Center for Excellence and Multi-Ethnic Small Farm and Community
Development, designed to assist rural businesses, will officially open its doors Tuesday, March 30.
A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the economic development program granted last fall to California State University, Fresno to support small businesses in rural communities, will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at 550 W. Shaw and will feature U.S. Rep. Cal Dooley, D-Hanford, and Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante.
The reception is sponsored by Washington Mutual bank.
The center, one of only five in the nation, was created from a $75,000 USDA grant to the School of Education and Human Development. The grant establishes a rural small business institute that also involves the Sid Craig School of Business.
Banker Vicente Orduno, Jr., has been named chief executive officer of and Multi-Ethnic Small Farm and Community Development. Fresno State education professor Dr. Robert Segura, who wrote the proposal for the center, “One-Stop-Capital-Shop,” is the director.
Dr. Tomas Martinez, a former Fresno State criminology professor who has experience as an entrepreneur and business developer, is coordinator of National Center for Excellence and leads the workshops that are held for business owners.
For more information, contact Orduno at (559) 225-1194 or Segura at 278-0318.
