Small-Business Development Director Resigns

KIRKSVILLE — Dan Hamlet, business counselor and executive director of Kirksville’s Small Business & Technology Development Center and Missouri Rural Enterprise & Innovation Center for the past two years, has announced that he’ll resign from those positions at the end of the month.

In a prepared statement, Hamlet said he had decided to pursue other opportunities, but hadn’t determined where that turn in his career would lead.

During his tenure, Hamlet helped launch five businesses in the region, including a law office, two retail shops and one services firm, a Web site dedicated to helping smaller businesses connect with recent college grads seeking jobs, and a wealth-management firm.

 “If Kirksville is going to grow as a community, it is because the businesses create jobs and the jobs keep the people here,” Hamlet said. “The city and Truman (State University) continue to invest in providing assistance to entrepreneurs and it’s a very important part of what makes this community work.”