Among recent senior leadership appointments at the U.S. Small Business Administration is a new leader for its Office of Field Operations, a former N.J. resident whose past work experience includes leading NJPIRG and working on U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s presidential campaign.

The SBA announced Jennifer Kim as associate administrator April 28. She is the first woman of color and first Asian American appointed to lead the agency’s Office of Field Operations.

“I am honored to be appointed SBA associate administrator for Field Operations to help advance President Biden and Administrator Guzman’s priorities to improve access to capital, remove barriers and increase opportunities to business counseling, technical assistance and training for all small business owners and entrepreneurs,” Kim said in a statement.

As SBA Associate Administrator for Field Operations, she will work directly with SBA Atlantic Regional Administrator Marlene Cintron and SBA New Jersey District Director John Blackstock to oversee the delivery of agency programs and services. The organization added that Kim will also work to enhance the customer service experience for borrowers, partners and the public.

Her purview covers the SBA’s national network of 10 Regional and 68 District Offices, including the SBA New Jersey and New York District Offices.

“The SBA is uniquely positioned to help small businesses grow and thrive. Our federal agency provided over $42 billion to small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Garden State through pandemic recovery programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). We want to keep serving those businesses as well as expand our outreach to entrepreneurs in underserved communities,” Kim said. “And, thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re making record investments in projects such as road and bridge repair that small businesses rely on to operate and grow.

“I stand ready to help build a more just and resilient small business ecosystem,” she added.

As the head of the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group, Kim advocated for the closure of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant in Ocean County and, the SBA said, partnered with other advocacy and small business groups on efforts including utility rate protection and government transparency.

In addition to being an advocate, Kim led field organizing for President Joe Biden’s general election campaign and served on the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the SBA said. She was director of states and organizing for Booker from 2019 to 2020 as he embarked on his own presidential campaign, during which time she was based in Newark. She began her career as a grassroots organizer.

In addition to Kim, the Biden White House also appointed Aditi Dussault as senior advisor to the administrator, Destine Hicks as White House liaison and George Holman as associate administrator for the SBA Office of Congressional & Legislative Affairs.

“These newly appointed leaders, alongside our current dedicated team of exemplary public servants, will leverage their dynamic strength and experience to help further the SBA’s mission of making the American dream of entrepreneurship more accessible and ensure that everyone who wants to start and grow a business can find the resources and support they need to make that dream a reality,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.