NSBA and the small-business community lost a longtime advocate last week. Susan Hager, 63, the founder of a Washington public relations firm and an advocate for female business owners and small-business entrepreneurs, died July 26 at her home in Washington.

Hager's experiences and frustrations as a female small-business owner propelled her into the world of advocacy. Perhaps most notably as one of the founders and the first president of the National Association of Women Business Owners. "When we started Hager Sharp, we felt like we were the only women out there," Hager said in a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce publication. "Through NAWBO, women business owners were able to meet and turn to one another for support and information."

Hager's involvement in the world of small business advocacy was quite extensive on both the national and local levels. She served as president of NSBA, chaired the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Small Business Advisory Council and was on the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Hager testified before U.S. Senate and House committees, the D.C. Council and the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. She met with presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton and urged them to change the business operating environment for female business owners and small-business entrepreneurs.

Hager leaves behind a legacy and lasting impact on the small-business community that will be hard to follow. NSBA is proud to count her among our leaders and will miss her thoughtful insight and dedication.