Dave Dessauer named director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Austin Peay

By: Elaina Russell November 25, 2024

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at Austin Peay State University has announced Dave Dessauer as its new director, effective Dec. 1.

Dessauer brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously served as the career readiness coach for the College of Business at Austin Peay and director of leadership and development at the University of Texas at Austin.

In his role as career readiness coach at Austin Peay, Dessauer was instrumental in helping hundreds of students prepare for successful business careers through one-on-one mentoring sessions, professional development workshops and curated programming. His breadth of experience, paired with his certificate in executive and professional coaching, will serve him well in supporting the region's small business community.

"I am honored to lead the TSBDC at Austin Peay and build upon its strong foundation of support to the community of small business owners," Dessauer said. “Small business owners are unique and their businesses reflect more than a way to make an income. A business can be a hope, a dream, an avenue for impact, or a way to create a legacy. I look forward to pulling together my background in management, education, and coaching to ensure business owners have access to the resources, guidance, and support needed to start, grow, and sustain their businesses.”

The TSBDC provides no-cost consulting services and training programs to small business owners throughout the region. In 2023 alone, the center assisted over 300 clients in achieving $2.4 million in new capital formation. Dessauer plans to build on that success, tailoring the center’s reach to support the evolving needs of local businesses.

“We are delighted to have Dave lead the center’s efforts in serving our business community,” Dr. Mickey Hepner, dean of the APSU College of Business, said. “His professional coaching knowledge and experience will help effectively steward our small business community.”

For more information about the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at APSU, visit https://tsbdc.org/center/clarksville/ or contact Dessauer at ddessauer@tsbdc.org.