A Great Champion of New Jersey Small Businesses Retires

Small businesses up and down Main Street usually thrive and prosper thanks to their owners’ acumen, daring … their moxie. However, in New Jersey, when they most need a helping hand, businessmen and women and entrepreneurs have been able to count on an invisible guardian who plied the hallowed halls of the State government, pushing officials to create a legislative and commercial climate, in which small businesses could flourish and succeed.

Even though you may not have had the pleasure of personally knowing Deborah Smarth, you certainly felt the fruits of her work on behalf of your businesses in the Garden State. Deborah retired earlier this week after almost 18 years of tirelessly working as Associate State Director and Chief Operating Officer of the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC), the state watchdog of small businesses across the state. Hers wasn’t only a bureaucratic job. It was a labor of love and service to the thousands of mom-and-pop shops and larger entities in the state.

My wife, Oksana, and I had the privilege and pleasure of working with Deborah for a few years and we found her dedication to the NJSBDC and businesses in New Jersey to be boundless and priceless.

Working very closely with Deb, we had the opportunity to observe her comprehensive scope of work in many areas of responsibility. One of the areas was working with legislators in Trenton on budgets that not only helped Newark-based headquarters fulfill its mission but also assist all of the 12 centers around the state that help small businesses. Her work with the lawmakers kept them acutely apprised of the issues and needs affecting small businesses and the NJSBDC, and also created a viable future for those companies and the state. Deb worked tirelessly and the results are visible – for the past two years, all of the Centers received necessary funding to continue their work. We believe that without Deb’s hard work in the State capital that wouldn’t happen.

State legislators knew at 10 paces what was in Deb’s mind as she approached them. They have said that oftentimes Deb awaits them outside of their offices. She’s there in the morning when they arrive, she’s there at the end of the day when they leave, and she has been concise in the message that she delivers and her advocacy for the NJSBDC, which goes on to help business. Trenton officials were not hesitant to say there’s no greater advocate for small business in the state than Deborah Smarth.

And the result has been significant. Over the years while in this position, her oversight responsibilities included the 12 regional centers at different locations around the state; legislative and executive branch advocacy (government relations) for the small business program; marketing and press outreach; as well as many other diversified tasks that fostered organizational development and growth, including strategic planning.

When Deborah came to the NJSBDC, she promoted and pushed forward a major strategic priority to have the program increase the percentage of clients that are established small businesses as well as targeting the $1 million plus/10 plus-employees market. As the chief legislative advocate over the years, she successfully worked with state legislators to increase state funding for the program during several budget cycles as well as restoring program funding in fiscally challenging years.

America’s SBDC in New Jersey, which is part of a national network America’s SBDC located in all 50 states, assists small business owners in all 21 counties. According to America’s SBDC, small businesses assisted by SBDCs had an average 14.8% rate of job growth as compared with the national average of 1.8% for businesses not receiving SBDC assistance.

In 2008, Deborah was recognized for her contributions to the NJSBDC program at the national SBDC association meeting in Chicago, IL; in 2020, she received recognition from NJBIZ as “Executive of the Year” along with other business and industry executives. At the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners 2000 Conference, she received Legislative Award recognition for her leadership, commitment, energetic efforts concerning home business legislation (“Family Home Occupation Act”) when she was employed at the New Jersey General Assembly. 

“At this juncture, I will transition into other life missions to use my public policy and legislative background in order to help society advance during these very challenging times,” she reflected recently. “I enjoyed my SBDC position immensely over the years, but, after life changing events very recently, I have decided to focus my energies on new projects and issues that are humanitarian in nature.”

Prior to joining the NJSBDC team, Deborah worked in the private sector in different capacities including as Legislative Associate at a major motion picture trade association, Director of Operations for a solar engineering company; taught political science at a university and community college; was a researcher at Columbia University School of Business; served as Senior Policy Advisor (economic development & business issues) and then Director of Policy and Planning at the New Jersey General Assembly.

She earned her Master’s Degree in National Politics and Policy from Columbia University in New York City and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from St. Peter’s University.

“While all these jobs were challenging and rewarding, the most rewarding activities were those in my private life,” she stated.  “Getting involved in community-based matters with my husband, writing letters-to-the-editor and op-ed pieces on important issues of the day, authoring two books – one on the 2012 presidential election (2013, 2015 editions) and the other about post-9/11 changes in America (2018) – as well as promoting, ‘The Golden Rule,’ in collaboration with my husband who initiated this important objective/initiative. 

“Giving back to society and promoting a way of life that puts into motion The Golden Rule (‘Treat every human being as you would want to be treated.’) are important now more than ever due to current societal and cultural trends. I hope I can contribute in this area.”

Deb was involved in all internal aspects of NJSBDC’s activity, the publications and press releases, every program, the Small Business Growth Success Award Luncheons and the website. Her hands-on dedication was noticeable in everything that she led and touched. Each newsletter showed the progress and dedication of NJSBDC in reaching the goals and Deb’s work is visible throughout. Without her commitment, many things in the office and across the state would not be possible.

Deb wore many hats at the Rutgers-Newark headquarters and each hat required a lot of knowledge and devotion, a lot of experience, a lot of time and personal contacts to be able to fulfill all tasks and responsibilities. We have been witnesses of her ongoing work, which often included nights and weekends.

Sometimes, we, people, overlook recognizing others’ efforts for the common good. So we have decided to express our feelings and today we are doing so on behalf of Deb Smarth, as we strongly believe that her hard work for the NJSBDC and small businesses in New Jersey will be visible and benefit the state for years to come.

Good luck in the next chapter of your life!