Two prominent figures in the business assistance field have been added to the board of directors of Maryland Capital Enterprises, Inc. John A. Hickman and Renee Stephens have become members of the 14-member board, according to its chairman Joseph E. Morse.

Hickman is the Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Salisbury University, an instructor in the Perdue School of Business, and a member of the MCE loan Committee. A native of the Eastern Shore, he brings a range of skills from the banking industry, food and recreation industry, and agriculture industry. He received his BS Degree in Agricultural Economics from N.C. State University and a MBA Degree from the College of William and Mary.

Renee Stephens is the Eastern Shore Regional Director for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) where she has worked for ten years. She is also a member of the MCE loan Committee. Prior to joining DBED, she was the Executive Director of Lower Shore Manufacturing Network at Salisbury University for four years. A native of Salisbury, Stephens earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland College Park and her MBA Degree from Wilmington College. Also, a proud member of the Greater Salisbury Committee, she volunteers to teach for Junior Achievement and is the international mission’s coordinator for her church, Oak Ridge Baptist.

Maryland Capital Enterprises is a micro-business support firm formed in 1998 that provides loans and assistance to small businesses on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Based in Salisbury, MD, the firm is certified by the US Department of the Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution. It is also certified as an Intermediary Micro lender for the Small Business Administration and the US Department of Agriculture.

For more information, contact Executive Director Hayley Gallagher at 410-546-1900 or 1-866-MARYCAP or email hgallagher@marylandcapital.org.