Regional Small Business Administration chief steps down

Bernard M. Sweeney, Connecticut’s district director for the federal Small Business Administration, retired Aug. 31 after 30 years on the job.

Over his career with the organization, Sweeney moved up the SBA ranks, first to supervisor, then to branch manager, he finally assumed the district director”™s slot 10 years ago.

At a recent retirement party held in his honor at the Hartford Hilton ”“ and attended by more than 100 ”“ Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal praised the work the SBA did under Sweeney. Both Wyman and Blumenthal presented Sweeney with citations for his work. Regional SBA Administrator Seth Goodall and the Connecitcut SBA District Office staff in Hartford joined in the well wishes.

Sweeney said he plans to do volunteer work with the Spanish American Merchants Association in Hartford County.