Advisory Committee spotlight: Tina Biteghe Bi Ndong collaborates with Center to create community connections

Small Towns

When Tina Biteghe Bi Ndong began working at the West Point Chamber of Commerce in 2006, she quickly became aware of the services offered by the Center for Rural Affairs. Now executive director of the chamber, Tina has worked closely with Center staff over the years, hosting events and providing training opportunities for her community’s small business owners.

In 2020, Tina was asked to join the Center’s Advisory Committee. Members are recruited for their special backgrounds and insights into the Center’s program areas. They meet quarterly with the Board of Directors and Center staff.

Joining the committee has led to other partnership opportunities, including projects like growing the West Point Farmers Market and making it a more diverse event and inclusive to all community members.

Tina has also been able to refer West Point’s small businesses to the Center, which has been able to fill some gaps for the chamber's work, she said.

“We work with a lot of small retail businesses as well as larger ones; we run the gamut, and sometimes we miss out on people who are doing a side hustle before becoming a full-fledged business,” Tina said. “That’s where the Center steps up and helps. They also have bilingual staff that assist with loan processes for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs. The Center’s guidance gets them to the next level, which helps them to become part of the chamber or a bigger part of the community.”

Gaining valuable insights has been one of the perks of being on the committee, Tina said.

“I stay pretty up to date with things going on in the area, but being on the Advisory Committee lets me learn about niche things happening that I’m not aware of, like developments in Tribal work, small town initiatives, and independent farmers,” she said.

As the relationship between the West Point Chamber of Commerce and the Center continues to grow, Tina hopes they will partner on more projects and events that benefit the West Point community and small businesses in the area. She believes there will be many chances to collaborate in the future.

“We’re very fortunate to have this connection and to be able to look to the Center for assistance with different projects,” Tina said. “With meat processing loans and Solar for All funds becoming available, especially in this agriculturally dense area, it’s a very exciting arena they are stepping into, and we are excited to see what comes next.”

Tina lives in West Point, Nebraska, and has served on the Center’s Advisory Committee since 2020.