Ryan Lincoln has been appointed district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Iowa District Office, the agency announced Dec. 9.
Lincoln assumed his duties Nov. 13, according to Brad Zaun, administrator of the SBA’s Great Plains Region.
As district director, Mr. Lincoln will manage and deliver SBA programs and services in Iowa. He will oversee the agency’s grant-funded counseling and training resource partners in the state, including SCORE, the Iowa Women’s Business Center and the Small Business Development Centers.
“Iowa’s small businesses are the engine that drives our local economies,” Mr. Zaun said in a release. “Ryan has lived the daily challenges of entrepreneurship and has the leadership skills to deliver real results. He is going to be a tremendous partner for our business owners, ensuring they have the resources they need to create jobs and help our communities prosper.”
Before joining the SBA, Mr. Lincoln was associate supervisor for logistics, distribution and transportation for PepsiCo in Urbandale. He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 1996 through 2017, retiring at the rank of 1st sergeant.
“I grew up in a small business in rural northern Indiana,” Mr. Lincoln said. “My father owned the only grocery store in a town of 1,200 people. I understand what small businesses mean to communities, and I’ve seen what they can do for the families that run them. I started working at the store when I was 14, and that set in motion the ideals that I would grow up to believe in.”
Mr. Lincoln is based in the Des Moines metro area and serves as commandant of the Department of Iowa, Marine Corps League. In that role, he works with other veteran service organizations across the state.
Mr. Zaun oversees SBA operations for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska as Great Plains Regional administrator.
