Eastern Sierra Business Resource Center Announces Grand Opening December 10, 2024, Appoints Meryl Picard Director

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 Eastern Sierra Business Resource Center Announces Grand Opening December 10, 2024, Appoints Meryl Picard Director

December 9, 2024 – (BISHOP, Calif.) Sierra Business Council (SBC), along with partners at Inyo County and the Bakersfield SBDC, have announced a December 10 opening date for the long-awaited Eastern Sierra Business Resource Center (BRC), located at 269 N. Main Street, Bishop.

The center closes a crucial gap in business resources in the Eastern Sierra, where the nearest, in-person resource was previously the Bakersfield SBDC, and will provide services to all of Inyo and Mono counties. The BRC will provide innovative, equitable, and inclusive economic development support to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and businesses through access to knowledge and resources, networking, collaboration space, and enhancing the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystems to create economic prosperity.

Services offered by the BRC include technical assistance with business-critical tasks like business plan creation and identifying financing sources, as well as development workshops on soft skills like management and leadership.

The BRC will be led by Meryl Picard, a long-time community-builder, who is well-connected to the many communities that make up Inyo and Mono counties and knowledgeable about their unique needs. She previously served as Tribal Chairwoman of the Bishop Paiute Tribe before stepping into this new role as the Director of the BRC.

A project years in the making, the seeds of what is now the BRC were planted in October 2019, when SBC leadership and board members attended a workshop hosted by Inyo County to develop a small business resource action plan.

“Getting to this grand opening involved dozens of official meetings with city and county representatives and permitting agencies, but, what’s most crucial to the heart and mission of the BRC, were the countless one-on-one meetings, shared coffees, and meals at local establishments with local businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs, and community members, ” said Allan Pietrasanta, Board Chair, Sierra Business Council and Bishop resident. “Early on, I even hosted COVID-style meetings on my front lawn where we sat six feet away from each other. To see these conversations come to life in the BRC building on Main Street, and to announce a respected professional like Meryl Picard as Director, has me thrilled for the next stage of business support in the Eastern Sierra.”

“As a long-standing community organizer in the Bishop community, I’m honored to be named Director of the BRC and bring this vital resource for businesses of all sizes in our community to life,” said Mery Picard, Director, Eastern Sierra Business Resource Center. “Key to my personal mission has been advancing equitable access to information and resources for all the individuals that make up our Mono and Inyo county community, and I believe the BRC is a vital link to achieving that goal.”

The BRC will host a private opening reception December 10, and will then be open to serve the public from 8 am – 5pm, Monday through Friday by appointment. To learn more about the BRC, click  here. To receive email updates about news, events, workshops, and meet-ups from the BRC, join the mailing list here.

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About Sierra Business Council

Sierra Business Council is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation established in 1994 and has dedicated 30 years to enhancing the Sierra Nevada region through community empowerment, environmental stewardship, and economic development. The organization promotes sustainable regional growth by supporting businesses, solving rural issues, and addressing climate change. SBC’s initiatives include economic empowerment through direct technical assistance and development strategies, climate action programs that enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, and regional advocacy to elevate the Sierra’s interests in policy discussions.

News Staff