‘Legacy of service’ – Moore leads SCC’s Small Business Center as new director

On a mission to serve, Nathan Moore took on the role of Southeastern Community College’s Small Business Center Director. Crediting Columbus County as the source of his professional success, Moore is ready to “give back to all the people who gave back to me” through his commitment to grow, promote and advocate for small businesses in the area.  

To continue the Moore family’s legacy of service to Columbus County and Southeastern Community College, Moore said the Small Business Center was the perfect place for him. With Moore’s father, Dr. Dan Moore, serving as SCC’s president from 1982 to 1988, he knew that SCC would grow to become the “economic engine for Columbus County.”  

The rise in technical programing at SCC fueled another portion of Moore’s desire to become the Small Business Center Director. He said that everyone who graduates from the cosmetology, HVAC, automotive, welding, construction, agribusiness or audio and video production technology programs, for example, has the potential to become a small business owner.  

“So, how do we keep those students here and let them know that they can do that right here at home instead of going to Raleigh, Charlotte or Asheville,” Moore said. “I’ve done all of that, and I can tell them the good, the bad and the ugly. I want the Small Business Center to help them and keep them here.” 

Moore is most excited about his new role in being able to “meet a small business owner where they are today and take them to the next step.” In addition to helping new businesses, Moore wants to grow and support the ones that are already here. He said that taking existing small businesses to the next phase in life with the resources that are already paid for by tax dollars is his goal as SBC Director.  

As a certified Dave Ramsey instructor, Moore plans to offer Dave Ramsey-inspired debt relief classes to business administration students on campus. He said the biggest obstacle to starting a new business is access to capital, and Moore wants to educate people on getting out of debt.  

Moore has plans for a “New Crop” program where he hosts fireside chats with local small business owners. These chats will be video recorded, published on social media and directed to the specific programs on campus that correlate with the small business. He said this will spotlight small business success stories in Columbus County and encourage students to start their own.  

“This is all about celebrating local entrepreneurs and planting the seeds of innovation in the same soil that built our past,” Moore said.  

Moore’s background 

Over the course of Moore’s professional career, Moore served as a co-founder and operator of FGFT, a janitorial service business in the Asheville area for five years. Moore started as a relationship manager that was later promoted to territory manager, then division manager and finally regional director for Heartland Payment Systems in New Jersey for four years. 

For nine years, Moore worked as a senior director and vice president of sales for Global Payments Heartland Payment Systems in Atlanta, Ga. And Oklahoma City, Okla. Most recently, Moore served as vice president of direct sales for Simpay based out of Philadelphia, Pa. Moore listed contract negotiation, sales management, market research and trends, business and product development, partnership building and effective communicator as some of the key skills he brings to the SCC Small Business Center.  

“I tell people quite often that I’ve been a part of six businesses, and I’ve gotten it right three times,” Moore said. “The thing that makes this position perfect for me at Southeastern is those three times I didn’t get it right. I hope this position will allow me to remove those obstacles, so people don’t have to use their time, their money or their energy in searching out resources.” 

Moore describes himself as an entrepreneur, executive leader and speaker with more than 20 years of successful experience in driving growth across community banking, fintech, SaaS and payments. He said that he is known for building and transforming sales organizations, optimizing revenue performance and launching financial products that expand market share. Moore explained that he has a proven record of developing high-performing teams, forging strategic partnerships and executing data-driven strategies that deliver short-term wins and long-term scalability.  

Moore graduated from the University of Mount Olive with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice and criminology in 2013. Moore said he took the “non-traditional path” of traveling for three years as a professional clown with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus after graduating high school. Moore and his wife, Allison, have one son, McArthur.  

“I started my education at Mount Olive when my son, McArthur, was born because I wanted him to see me finish something,” Moore said. “When I started, he was three months old. He held my hand at graduation, and he was four.”  

With his son owning a commercial vending business, graduating from SCC and continuing his education as a transfer student at UNC Charlotte, Moore is watching McArthur continue the family’s legacy of service. He and his family attend Smyrna Baptist Church in Whiteville. In his spare time, Moore likes to MC scholarship pageants and volunteer. He serves as the chair of the SCC Foundation Board of Directors but plans to step down to focus on the Small Business Center.  

Ready to start your own business or need assistance with a current one? Visit this website to learn more or call Nathan Moore at 910-788-6419 to get started.