For Immediate Release 
December 7, 2016

President-Elect Donald J. Trump Intends to Nominate Linda McMahon to Serve as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration

(New York, NY)  President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate Linda McMahon to serve as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, a cabinet-level position.
 
"My America First agenda is going to bring back our jobs and roll back the burdensome regulations that are hurting our middle class workers and small businesses. To help push our agenda forward, I am pleased to nominate Linda McMahon as the head of the Small Business Administration," said President-elect Trump. "Linda has a tremendous background and is widely recognized as one of the country’s top female executives advising businesses around the globe. She helped grow WWE from a modest 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees in offices worldwide. Linda is going to be a phenomenal leader and champion for small businesses and unleash America's entrepreneurial spirit all across the country." 
 
“Our small businesses are the largest source of job creation in our country,” said Ms. McMahon. “I am honored to join the incredibly impressive economic team that President-elect Trump has assembled to ensure that we promote our country’s small businesses and help them grow and thrive.”
 
Ms. McMahon advises global businesses as part of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council. She is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Women’s Leadership LIVE, LLC, a company that uses live events and ongoing mentorships to educate and inspire women to launch and expand their own businesses, advance their careers toward executive roles, and pursue opportunities for leadership in public service.
 
Ms. McMahon is a co-founder and former chief executive officer of WWE, based in Stamford, Connecticut.
 
In 2014, she was honored by the Fairfield/Westchester County Business Journal as one of its “Women Making an Impact.”  In 2013, she was named one of New York Moves Magazine’s“Power Women.” In 2007, she was named one of Multichannel News’ “Wonder Women,” recognizing her accomplishments as a leader in the cable television industry.
 
Ms. McMahon spearheaded a wide variety of community and charitable programs at WWE, including the company's Get R.E.A.L. educational and literacy programs. The Make-A-Wish Foundation has recognized WWE as a top wish granter, awarding it its highest honor in 2004. Ms. McMahon was appointed to the organization’s National Advisory Council in 2005. During her tenure, WWE was the recipient of the USO of Metropolitan Washington’s first-ever “Legacy of Hope” award, in honor of Bob Hope, for its extensive support of our troops. In 2007, the company received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award for its support of deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
In 2009, Ms. McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education as an appointee of Governor M. Jodi Rell.
 
Ms. McMahon serves on the boards of Sacred Heart University of Fairfield, Connecticut; the Close Up Foundation, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that works to educate and inspire young people to participate in our democracy; and American Corporate Partners, a New York-based organization that pairs returning veterans with mentors in the workforce. She also serves as President of the Advisory Board for Operation Helmet, which provides comfortable and protective helmet pads for U.S. combat troops; and is a member of the Advisory Board for SoldierStrong, which provides scholarships and rehabilitation technology for returning veterans. She is a graduate of East Carolina University.
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Main Street Alliance

Thursday, December 08, 2016
Contact: Steve Rouzer

In Experience That Matters Most, Linda McMahon is Lacking

Without public administrative experience, WWE co-founder Linda McMahon is ill-equipped to head the Small Business Administration and act in the best interests of Main Street

Washington, D.C.- December 8, 2016- President-Elect Trump announced his nomination of Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration (SBA), immediately raising eyebrows in the small business community. With a personal net worth of more than $500 million, Ms. McMahon is out of touch with the real small business owners she is tasked with assisting at the SBA.  

Having contributed at least $6.5 million to the President-Elect’s campaign and associated super PACS, and $5 million to the Trump Foundation, the selection of Ms. McMahon raises conflict of interest concerns that have become synonymous with Mr. Trump and his Cabinet nominations. It begs the question, how much does a Trump Cabinet position cost? For Linda McMahon, the position carries a $11.5 million price tag.

Despite being touted by Mr. Trump as an expert on small businesses, McMahon’s family business, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), engages in practices that harm small business owners.  The McMahons obtained a de facto monopoly in the professional wrestling business by pricing out competitors, many of which were small businesses. Furthermore, unlike the small businesses in Main Street Alliance’s network, the McMahons designated their 150+ roster of wrestlers as independent contractors, leaving with without vital health and retirement benefits or unemployment insurance.

Even more concerning is Ms. McMahon’s inexperience working in the complex, highly technical, small business lending space. The SBA oversees a loan portfolio of $124 billion and provides a range of counseling and technical assistance programs. Under the right, skilled leadership, the SBA has the potential to provide small business owners with badly needed financing, particularly in communities of color and for minority-owned businesses.

“We need a leader who truly understands the struggles of small business owners and has the technical expertise to navigate the maze of complex programs to steer the SBA in the right direction,” said Amanda Ballantyne, Main Street Alliance National Director. “We fear that Linda McMahon does not meet this criterion and is ill-equipped to address the needs of our members and their fellow small business owners.”

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Main Street Alliance is a national network of small business coalitions working to build a new voice for small businesses on important public policy issues. Alliance small business owners share a vision of public policies that work for business owners, our employees, and the communities we serve.