C.E. "Tee" Rowe is the president and CEO of America's Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the U.S. He is also chairman of the Foundation for Small Business Development. Rowe has extensive experience in government relations and uses that experience to advocate for small businesses at the highest levels of government and in the private sector. Using his knowledge of Congressional and Executive Branch policy-making processes and his ability to persuasively communicate, Rowe has an impressive record of successful lobbying, policy development, and association management. Under his leadership, the SBDC has developed an excellent relationship with the Authorizing and Appropriating Committees in the House and Senate, and with the Western Governors Association.
Rowe has been instrumental in ensuring the SBDC advocacy embraces global opportunities by working with the U.S. Department of State and USAID to grow the Small Business Network of the Americas. On the global front, the SBDC has developed a relationship with Korean International Trade Association (KITA) and Qatar Development Bank.