Maryland's SHERO Awards

Melanie Sabelhaus
Former Deputy Administrator
U.S. Small Business Administration

Melanie R. Sabelhaus was sworn in April 12, 2002 as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  President George W. Bush nominated her for the post and she was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.

During her tenure as SBA Deputy Administrator, Sabelhaus served as second in command to Administrator Hector V. Barreto in managing an agency with more than 80 offices across the country.  She was responsible for overseeing policy development and program supervision for the SBA. 

Created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to assist small business, the SBA is America's Small Business Resource, providing financial assistance, business education, training, counseling and procurement assistance programs to the nation's entrepreneurs.  With a total loan portfolio of business and disaster recovery loans of about $50 billion, the SBA is America's largest single financial backer of small businesses.

Sabelhaus is a successful entrepreneur with more than 25 years of business and corporate experience. She founded and served as chief executive officer of Exclusive Interim Properties (EIP) from 1986 to 1997, when the company merged with four other companies to form Bridgestreet Accommodations. The company did an IPO in 1997 and went public on the NASDAQ as Bridgestreet Accommodations.  Sabelhaus became vice president of Global Sales and served on the board of directors of the publicly held company until 1998. For 15 years prior to starting her own business, she served in a variety of management positions with the IBM Corporation.

Since leaving the SBA position in June 2005, Sabelhaus has continued to focus her energy on her passion for nonprofits. She serves on several boards, including the National American Red Cross Board of Governors, the United Way, YWCA, the Alzheimer’s Association of Central Maryland, the Nantucket Historical Society, Women’s Leadership Board of the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and as a member of the Foundation Board of Ohio University.  Sabelhaus twice co-chaired the National Summit on Women in Philanthropy and she is national chair Emeritus of the United Way Women’s Initiative which raised $63 million dollars last year for children and youth. She also serves on the Key Bank Advisory Board. She currently is the National Chair of the American Red Cross Women’s Initiative, the Tiffany Circle.

Senator Elizabeth Dole Chair of The National Republican Senatorial committee (NRSC), appointed Sabelhaus to Chair the Women’s Majority Network (WMN) steering committee... The WMN is comprised of Republican women leaders in politics, education and business throughout the country educating and encouraging other women to get involved in the political process. She serves as the Senior Political Advisor to Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a national bi-partisan organization representing more than 520,000 women in Business and women Business owners nationwide.  

Sabelhaus has recently joined the Superior Financial Group in Walnut Creek, California as a partner.  The company provides capital to entrepreneurs who are starting and growing a business.

She is recipient of numerous awards including the 2002 Outstanding Volunteer Fund-raiser Award presented by the Association of Fund-raising Professionals, the College of Notre Dame of Maryland’s Pro Urbe Award for her contributions to the community and as a successful small business entrepreneur, and the Ohio University’s School of Business award for Achievement in Business, where she is a Foundation board member. She received the “Senator William Proxmire” Award from The Copper Ridge Institute.  She was just recently honored by the SCORE Foundation and given the Lou Campanili Award.

Sabelhaus is married and resides in Owings Mills, Md., with her husband, Bob Sabelhaus.  He is an executive with the financial investment firm of Smith Barney.  They are the parents of two adult children.  Sabelhaus attended Ohio University and earned a B.S. in journalism.