Leadership

Over its history, NAGGL has grown the SBA lending industry, America's small business sector, and its own membership rolls by employing forward-thinking leadership on key issues. Whether enabling streamlined loan programs with greater lender autonomy, spearheading key secondary market improvements, or saving SBA programs from annihilation, NAGGL has helped the 7(a) program flourish --burgeoning from a $1 billion program in 1984 to a greater than $13 billion program today. A few of the milestones we're particularly proud of helping the 7(a) program reach:

Milestone: Taking the Lead in Salvaging the Program
NAGGL was founded in the wake of a legislative crisis, and solving problems to improve the 7(a) loan program continues to be our bread and butter. We're proud of our record, and even more proud of what it has meant to the success of 7(a) program participants.

Milestone: SOP Revisions
During 1996 and 1997, NAGGL worked extensively with SBA leadership on a complete rewrite of the SBA's Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Manuals. Lenders and SBA personnel benefited from clearer guidance and more useful information.

Milestone: IRS Tax Verifications
In 1996 and 1998, NAGGL was instrumental in proving that the SBA's pre-closing requirement for IRS tax return verification caused significant loan closing delays for small businesses. The result? A new, more efficient process.

Milestone: NEPA Lawsuit
At NAGGL’s 2001 Annual Conference in San Francisco, news broke of an environmental lawsuit that threatened to shut down the 7(a) loan program. Over the course of the next year and a half, NAGGL’s efforts on behalf of 7(a) program participants helped keep program delivery uninterrupted and solve the problem without adding unreasonable burdens to the lending process.

Milestone: Fair Subsidy Rate Calculations
In 2003, years of lobbying culminated in the implementation of a more realistic econometric model, resulting in program fee cuts.

Milestone: Campaign Inform 2001
The Bush Administration’s first hello to the 7(a) program came in the form of a budget request calling for increased fees for borrowers and lenders. With borrowers and lenders threatening to flee the program, NAGGL stepped in. Our legislative efforts resulted in permanently reduced fees instead of fee hikes. 

Milestone: From Loan Cap to Record Year
Loan caps occurred regularly during the first term of the Bush Administration. Fiscal year 2004 began with a four-month loan cap, but through extensive grassroots efforts by NAGGL members, the year ended with the return of a full-strength program, record loan volume of over $12 billion, and stability on the horizon.

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