Jack Reed: “I rise today to recognize one of the hardest working public servants in my State--indeed, in any State--Mark Hayward.…”

“I rise today to recognize one of the hardest working public servants in my State--indeed, in any State--Mark Hayward. Mark will be retiring at the end of the year as the District Director of the Small Business Administration in the State of Rhode Island. This is no normal retirement. Mark's commitment to public service and Rhode Island stretches back 45 years. He was first elected to the city council in his hometown of East Providence, RI, while he was still a student at Providence College. His peers on the council quickly recognized the intelligence, the compassion, and the work ethic that dominated his career. And despite his youth, they voted him mayor of the town. After 6 years as mayor, Mark made the decision to leave Rhode Island for Washington, DC, in order to serve as Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Environmental Protection Agency and later as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Territorial and International Affairs at the Department of the Interior. But the pull to return to Rhode Island was strong. After joining SBA in 1990, Mark moved to the Rhode Island office, which he was soon appointed to lead as the District Director. In total, Mark has spent a remarkable 29 years as acting and then permanent SBA District Director for the State of Rhode Island. Most of our small businesses have never known a world without Mark's guidance. But his story is characterized by more than longevity.…”