When people ask where I’m from, I don’t just say Michigan. I say the Upper Peninsula.
The U.P. is more than a place. It shapes how I see business, community, and responsibility. Up here, you learn quickly that people depend on each other. Your customers know you. Your employees are your neighbors. Your business decisions ripple through the community around you.
That perspective has shaped the way I lead at Stormy Kromer and Jacquart Fabric Products. And it is the perspective I bring with me as I step into the role of Board Chair for the Small Business Association of Michigan.
I am honored to serve in this role, and I am grateful to follow Sheri Welsh’s leadership. Sheri has served SBAM with energy, care, and a clear commitment to Michigan’s small business community. I’m thankful for the work she has done and for the momentum she helped build.
I am also honored to represent the Upper Peninsula. Being the first SBAM Board Chair from the U.P. is special – not because this role is about one region, but because it’s about making sure every part of the state has a voice.
That is what I most want SBAM members to know this year: your voice matters.
It matters no matter the size of your business, your industry, or where in the state you are located. Small businesses do not all look the same, but the people running them often carry the same weight.
We are responsible for employees, customers, payroll, and decisions that don’t always come with easy answers. We celebrate the wins, but we also absorb the uncertainty. And sometimes, if we’re honest, it can feel lonely.
On those tough days, the peer group I rely on most is a group of women I met through SBAM. When I go to them with a challenge, it’s not because they always have the answer it’s because they understand the juggling act of trying to do what is right for the business, for employees, and for yourself and your family. Sometimes what helps most is simply knowing you’re not alone.
That is one of the most important things SBAM provides.
Advocacy matters. Resources matter. Access to information matters. But underneath all of that is something more human: the knowledge that there are people who understand what you are trying to build, what you are up against, and why it matters.
That kind of connection makes us better business owners and better advocates. It gives us the confidence to speak up, share what’s really happening, and help shape the environment small businesses operate in.
There is no better advocate for a small business than the person running it every day. We know what’s working; we know what gets in the way; we know what kind of support is useful and what only sounds good in theory.
SBAM is at its best when it helps those voices be heard.
That is why I am especially excited about the continued growth of SBAM’s volunteer councils. They are still less than a year old, but I believe they have tremendous potential. These councils give members a place to connect around shared experiences, talk honestly about challenges, and learn from people who are living similar realities.
This year, I want to help those councils become a lasting part of how SBAM connects members across industries, regions, and business sizes.
I come into this year as a practical optimist. I believe in what small businesses can do, but I also know belief alone is not enough. We have to listen well, build relationships that last, and we have to make it easier for members to show up, speak up, and find value in being part of this organization.
My commitment as chair is simple: to stay grounded in the real experiences of small business owners, to help strengthen the connections between us, and to make sure SBAM continues to be an organization that has your back.
No matter where you are in Michigan, no matter what kind of business you run, and no matter how big or small your company may be, your voice matters here.
By Gina Jacquart Thorsen, Chair of the SBAM Board of Directors and CEO of Jacquart Fabric Products, home of Stormy Kromer. Article originally published in SBAM’s July/August 2026 issue of FOCUS magazine
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