FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 13, 2023

Ohio Statewide Development Corporation Announces Katie Kramer as New Executive Director

Kramer will use her policy and economic development experience to lead the organization as a proactive small business partner

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Statewide Development Corporation (OSDC) announced today the appointment of Katie Kramer as its new executive director. The organization specializes in financing real estate and equipment, thus ensuring small businesses have the finances to grow. Kramer’s appointment signals OSDC’s commitment to become a more proactive partner for both businesses and policymakers, for which she has a proven track record.

Kramer, who officially assumed the role in May and has spent the recent months onboarding, served on the organization’s board of directors for seven years prior to her appointment. She served as board president for more than half of that term, providing a national perspective to bolster the organization’s local impact. In her new role, she will oversee OSDC’s portfolio of over 250 small business borrowers in 44 Ohio counties, representing over $380 million in combined public and private sector investment, while helping small businesses across the state and OSDC partners navigate national and local economic trends.

Additionally, Kramer will work with the organization’s board of directors to position OSDC as an expert resource in small business financing and to help promote the SBA’s 504 loan program and the state’s low-interest Regional 166 Direct Loan program to small businesses and economic development partners throughout Ohio.

“I’m grateful to the OSDC Board of Directors for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead OSDC in its mission to become a more proactive partner to small businesses in Ohio,” said Kramer. “I’ve worked with hundreds of communities across the U.S., helping them to strengthen their small business economy, and as an Ohio transplant married to a Cleveland native, I’m proud to be doing that work right here at home.”

Signaling the organization’s new direction, Kramer is its first executive director with economic development and advocacy-focused experience. Before joining OSDC, Kramer served as vice president at the Council of Development Finance Agencies, where she was responsible for building an $18 million loan guarantee program and passing a $10 billion federal program for small businesses while providing technical support to economic development agencies across the country. Additionally, Ms. Kramer’s expertise is credited in several publications and reports that have assisted federal agencies and congressional leaders in strengthening their development finance policies.

“We’re thrilled to have Katie lead OSDC, continuing to offer critical resources to small businesses in our community while providing her economic development knowledge to the policymakers impacting those businesses,” said Chris Magill, president of OSDC’s board of directors and managing director of Vista Site Selection. “Her policy background and experience leading these services at the national and local level is invaluable to our organization and will further establish OSDC as a key partner in the economic development sector.”

Through its small business lending programs, OSDC is credited with supporting the development of Northstar Cafe in Westerville, ownership transfers at The Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls and The Book Loft, new equipment at Future Polytech, Inc., and more.  

To learn more about OSDC and its work supporting small businesses throughout Ohio, go to OSDC.net.

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About Ohio Statewide Development Corporation

The Ohio Statewide Development Corporation (OSDC) is a private, non-profit corporation and certified development company (CDC) licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide low-cost, long-term SBA loans to eligible small businesses in Ohio. We promote business investment and job creation by helping small businesses across Ohio secure the financing they need to grow through our various loan programs or partnering with their existing lenders.