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Stanly Community College’s Small Business Center recently had a change in leadership. Dr. Reese Linnell was named director of Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development. He replaced Alicia Herrin, who left as director last spring.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to try something new and different while at the same time still serving people in the community,” he said about the position.

Originally from Minnesota, Linnell, 54, served in the U.S. Army in Hawaii before moving to Stanly County, where he’s lived for more than 30 years. He has served as pastor at several churches in the area and is currently pastor at Centre Point Church in Locust. He and his family also created Lin-inK, a micropublishing company. Linnell wrote an adventure book a few years ago which his company published titled “Thaddeus Baxter Kaymus and the Queens’ Gift.”

For the last six years, Linnell has also worked at Stanly Community College as a success coach for the University Transfer Program.

“Dr. Linnell was selected after a prolonged, extensive search that consisted of multiple rounds of interviews,” said SCC President Dr. John Enamait. “His background and experience will help SCC’s Small Business Center assist Stanly County citizens start small businesses or be a support for small businesses. Being an internal candidate, Dr. Linnell will be able to leverage the various departments within SCC as he works to help Stanly County continue to grow through the economic development of our vital small businesses.”

The Small Business Center, located in downtown Albemarle, provides support for the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses by being a community-based provider of training, counseling and resource information. All of its services are free. Some of the many resources provided by the Center include confidential, one-on-one counseling for new and existing businesses and a host of seminars and workshops geared towards the critical aspects of starting a new business and managing a small business.

“We are 100 percent here to serve small business people or potential small business people across the county,” he said.

Stanly’s Small Business Center is one of 58 across the state connected to community colleges. According to its website, the goal of the Small Business Network is to “increase the success rate and the number of viable small businesses in North Carolina by providing high quality, readily accessible assistance to prospective and existing small business owners which will lead to job creation and retention.”

Linnell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies/Religion from Wingate University, a Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts (Religion/History) from Wake Forest University and is a recent graduate of Faulkner University with a Doctorate in Humanities/History.

He resides in Oakboro with his wife Roxanne and his three daughters, Alex, Sam and Rylee.

Although hours can vary, the Small Business Center is generally open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.