Chasiti Shepherd, president of BGrace Media in Birmingham, was appointed to the National Small Business Association Leadership Council this week.

The National Small Business Association (NSBA) is comprised of over 65,000 member businesses across all 50 states. It is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy group and operates without partisan preference.

“As a small-business owner, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation,” said Shepherd in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Shepherd went on to say that one of the things she is most excited to do in her new role is “fight for equality, especially for minority-owned businesses, and then take our collective small-business message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress.”

A recent CBS News report showed that 90% of businesses owned by minorities have been shut out of the Paycheck Protection Program, which is supposed to provide small business loans to companies struggling with the conditions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Shepherd received her undergraduate degree from Stillman College. She is an active supporter of her community in Birmingham, being a supporter of UNCF, a member of PRSA, Junior League of Birmingham and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority INC.

BGrace Media, the company led by Shepherd, describes itself as “a transcultural Public Relations and Marketing Agency focused on using our expertise in storytelling to connect brands with people.”

“I am proud to have Chasiti Shepherd as part of our Leadership Council,” advised NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken.

“She came to us highly recommended and I look forward to our coordinated efforts for years to come,” he added.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95