Michael Brooks

Michael Brooks is the Associate State Director of the Alabama Small Business Development Center Network (ASBDC), an economic development program of the University of Alabama designed to help grow Alabama’s economy by providing one-on-one, confidential & no-cost advising to aspiring

entrepreneurs & existing small businesses. The ASBDC utilizes professional staff, students, and industry consultants to help new businesses start, and to help existing businesses grow. The ASBDC serves as a resource for local, state, and regional organizations on entrepreneurship and small business initiatives, with specialty programs in International Trade, Capital Access, Procurement, and Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery.

Michael began his career with the Small Business Development Center as a Trade Specialist with the Alabama International Trade Center in 1998, leading several Trade Center programs, including business development, the TEAM training program, and export financing. In 2009 he joined the leadership of the

Alabama SBDC Network as the Associate State Director. In this position he serves as a liaison to SBA and other business development organizations, oversees the accreditation process for the state’s 10 SBDC locations, leads the development and deployment of the strategic plan, and drives innovation and performance improvement across the Network. He is Vice Chair of the accreditation committee for America’s SBDC, which seeks to ensure that all SBDC programs are positioned to achieve high performance and deliver quality services.

In 2007 he was honored as the State Star for Alabama, an award granted by the Alabama SBDC Network that recognizes exemplary performance and contribution to the small business community. In that same year he was the first person in Alabama to achieve the CGBP (Certified Global Business Professional) designation established by NASBITE International. Brooks has twice served the interim director for the state’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), which seeks to grow Alabama’s economy by

helping existing businesses identify, bid on and win military and other federal contracts; he was certified as an Associate Contracting Assistance Specialist (ACAS) by the Association of PTACs in 2012. In 2018 he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Alabama District Export Council (DEC) and works closely with the AL and US Departments of Commerce to help craft the state’s export strategy. He currently teaches a senior-level course in Import-Export Management at the UA Culverhouse College of Business and has been a guest lecturer at several other colleges and universities in Alabama.

Brooks received an MBA in Strategic Management & Marketing, and a BS in International Business from The University of Alabama. He holds certificates from the Disney Institute on Quality Service, Employee Engagement, and Leadership Excellence. Brooks currently serves on the board of directors for the Alabama Germany Partnership (Vice Chair / Chair-elect) and the North Alabama International Trade Association (NAITA). For more information: https://ASBDC.org