Joyce Oswald joins the Kitsap SBDC; Jaime Forsyth announces her retirement

Joyce Oswald has joined Western Washington University’s Kitsap County Small Business Development Center, the SBDC, as a certified business advisor.

Joyce has a bachelor’s in Business Administration and a master's in Career and Technical Education and has worked in banking, corporate tax accounting, technology training and academia. Joyce has shown tremendous talent and dedication in providing valuable insights concerning business plans, financial statements, and proposals for commercial finance. Joyce has most recently worked as a professor of business at Tacoma Community College and has taught in colleges and universities in Arizona, Alaska, California and New Mexico.

In addition to her considerable traditional business and academic background, Joyce brings an important new dimension to Kitsap SBDC services. As a long-time Silverdale resident, Joyce brings over three decades of business technical assistance service delivery to business owners and entrepreneurs who find themselves farthest from opportunity.

With her experience working with underserved, rural, Spanish-speaking and BIPOC business owners, Joyce will help make the Kitsap SBDC a more inclusive service provider, part of Western’s university-wide commitment to equity, justice and respect for the rights and dignity of others. The WWU Kitsap SBDC welcomes all business owners and is particularly focused on helping entrepreneurs overcome structural barriers to success.

Jaime Forsyth, the first full-time advisor at the Kitsap SBDC, has announced her plans to retire and will be leaving the SBDC Sept. 8. Jaime distinguished herself with outstanding service to Kitsap County during and after the pandemic and with her energetic outreach throughout Kitsap County.  

The WWU SBDC is part of the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the United States and its territories. SBDCs are hosted by leading universities, colleges, and state economic development agencies, and are funded in part through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBDC serving Kitsap County is hosted by University Relations and Marketing at Western and receives additional support from a constellation of local stakeholders.

Since 2019, the Kitsap Small Business Development Center has enabled Western Washington University to give back to the business community and collaborate with its Kitsap partners to shape the economic future of Kitsap County.

The SBDC provides confidential business advising, technical assistance, and research at no cost to our clients. To schedule an appointment with Joyce, call (360) 650-7232 or email kitsapsbdc@wwu.edu  

For more information, check out the WWU SBDC website at sbdc.wwu.edu