Shawne Carter McGibbon has been appointed Acting Chief Counsel for Advocacy. She replaces Thomas M. Sullivan who resigned on October 24 to pursue private sector employment at the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. McGibbon was previously the Deputy Chief Counsel for
Advocacy.

"I am honored to be chosen the Acting Chief Counsel for Advocacy," said McGibbon. "With the current economic and financial situation, it is important that the voice of small business be heard loud and clear in Washington. I will make sure that the Office of Advocacy continues to bring the voice of small business into policy and regulatory discussions."

For the past six years, McGibbon was Deputy Chief Counsel for Advocacy. Previously, she was Director of Interagency Affairs, and served as Assistant Advocate for Food, Drug, and Health Policy. Before joining Advocacy, McGibbon worked on Capitol Hill and for the Maryland House of Delegates. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctor from the George Washington University National Law Center.

McGibbon noted that she would continue Office of Advocacy initiatives, including:

• Strong outreach to small businesses through Regional Advocates and industry roundtables.


• Aggressive monitoring of federal agency compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, and Executive Order 13272.


• Issuance of significant research reports analyzing small business economic issues.


• Solicitation of nominations of current regulations needing review and reform as part of the Regulatory Review and Reform (r3) initiative.


The Office of Advocacy, the "small business watchdog" of the federal government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President.

For more information, visit the Office of Advocacy web site.