- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Native Contracting
The U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Native American Affairs is operating without permanent leadership as the agency conducts an expanded examination of the 8(a) Business Development Program that serves as a primary contracting vehicle for tribal enterprises.
Diane Cullo, who served as SBA’s assistant administrator at ONAA since February, announced her departure on social media this week to become the first executive director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The SBA has not announced her replacement, and Cullo remains listed on the agency's website as of Wednesday.
The leadership vacancy comes as the 8(a) program faces intensified scrutiny from Congress and federal regulators. On Dec. 5, SBA directed roughly 4,300 firms to submit three years of financial records by Jan. 5 or risk losing program access. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, has called for a pause on new 8(a) sole-source awards while agencies audit the program for alleged abuse.
Native-owned firms received $16.1 billion of the program's $26 billion in federal contract awards in fiscal 2024, according to HigherGov, a federal contracting intelligence firm. Several Native enterprises named in Ernst's letters to federal agencies disputed her allegations, saying they relied on flawed data and misinterpretations of SBA rules.
Matt Feinberg, an attorney at PilieroMazza who represents 8(a) firms, said ambiguous language in the SBA's data request has created confusion about what documentation is required.
"We are basically 24/7 answering calls from the 8(a) community," Feinberg said.
Cullo wrote in her LinkedIn announcement that her commitment to Native communities would continue despite leaving the SBA.
"While I've transitioned from my role at the U.S. Small Business Administration, my dedication to Main Street and Indian Country remains unwavering," she wrote.
The Office of Native American Affairs, located at SBA headquarters in Washington, promotes and supports Native American entrepreneurs through tribal consultations, outreach activities and participation in national economic development conferences, according to the agency.
Cullo's tenure followed Jackson Brossy, an enrolled member of Navajo Nation who served during the Biden administration, and Shawn Pensoneau, an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma who served in the role during the first Trump administration.
Tribal Business News reached out to the SBA about Cullo’s departure and replacement, but had not heard back at publication time.
