RIO GRANDE — Gallia County resident Jason Winters has been named the new director of the Center for Small Business Entrepreneurship at the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College.

Winters is taking over leading the center at time when it is continuing to grow in its work serving Rio Grande students and the community.

In his work with the Center for Small Business Entrepreneurship, Winters will have four main areas of concentration. These areas include advising students in Rio Grande’s Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program, providing community support to local businesses and entrepreneurs, working with undergraduate business students to set up internships and other learning experiences, and helping the center to become an educational focal point for entrepreneurs in the community.

As an advisor, Winters will work closely with all of the students in the MBA program, and he will also assist with recruiting new students for the program and helping them to get registered.

A graduate of Rio Grande’s MBA program, Winters knows the challenges facing students in the program, and has the perfect perspective to be able to help them from the time they first inquire about the program up until they graduate.

The MBA program is unique in the region in its focus on entrepreneurship. Students can complete the program in one-year if they are enrolled full-time, and can finish in two years if taking classes on a part-time basis. Interested area residents still have time to enroll for the MBA program for the fall semester, which begins on Aug. 24 at Rio Grande.

In his role supporting the community, Winters will work closely with all of the MBA students as they complete community service projects. All students in the program are now required to complete these projects, which will be a valuable learning experience for them. The projects will also benefit local businesses and organizations that receive assistance from the students.

All undergraduate students studying in the Evans School of Business at Rio Grande are required to complete an internship, and Winters will work with these students in arranging these work experience programs. These programs are also designed to help businesses in the region, while also providing excellent learning opportunities for the students.

Winters will also be creating new educational opportunities for local business leaders and entrepreneurs in the Center for Small Business Entrepreneurship. Many small business owners are experts in the work they do, but they may not be comfortable with all areas of running a business, such as bookkeeping, accounting or marketing. Winters wants these area residents to be able to receive assistance at the Center for Small Business Entrepreneurship and is planning to set up special courses just to help area residents with these different areas.

“We want the center to be an educational resource, not just for the students in our MBA and undergraduate programs, but for the business community as a whole,” Winters said.

Winters has worked at Rio Grande for the last four years and is proud to be moving into this new role. His previous work included serving as a recruiter for the graduate programs on campus, and this new position fits with his knowledge and experience perfectly. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Rio Grande.