Small business centers’ funding looks safe, but state awaits decision

BOULDER — The controversy over the appointment of the state’s director of the Small Business Development Center program might be much ado about nothing.

Gov. Bill Owens named Mary Madison as associate director of the state Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program in January. But Madison’s appointment worried some development-center heads because of a national requirement stating the director of the development centers should be a career non-political employee.

“That’s to maintain some consistency of leadership in the operation of the SBDCs,” explains Johnnie Albertson, the associate administrator of the Small Business…