Staff
About CED » Staff
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Dan Ripke, Director
Dan Ripke, a native of Northern California, holds a BS in international business, a BA in French, and master’s studies in business administration from California State University, Chico. He has worked for the Center for Economic Development and the Northeastern California Small Business Development Center since 1988, serving as director for the center’s 21-county service region. In this capacity, he provides economic development and planning technical assistance to over 20 percent of the state of California. Dan is a member of the International Economic Development Council, the California Association for Local Economic Development, and the National Association of Development Organizations.
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Sandy Linville, Assistant Director
Sandy Linville joined the Center for Economic Development (CED) in August 2010. Sandy brings 8 years of experience in events planning to the events coordinator position at the CED. As the special events coordinator for Gottschalks, Sandy planned all corporate events including annual stockholders meetings to Gottschalk’s bridal shows. As the National Event Manager for Pincus Communications, Inc., Sandy planned educational workshops for attorneys across the country as well as developing communication training workshops for attorneys and court personnel. Being a California native, Sandy graduated from UC Davis with a double major in Rhetoric and Community Development. Sandy also graduated with her master’s degree in Communication from CSU, Fresno. She lives in Magalia with her husband, son, two Labrador retrievers, three cats and two CA Desert Tortoises.
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Eileen Chavez, Associate Director
Eileen Chavez joined NECSBDC's staff in May 2007 after returning to Chico from L.A. Eileen had been living in Los Angeles for the past eleven years. During her time there, Eileen worked for ING Advisors Network for eight years. During her tenure with ING, she held positions in the Commission Accounting and Business Development Departments, performing accounting and research duties, and training new sales representatives. Eileen is currently enrolled at Saint Leo University Center for On-Line Learning, majoring in business administration.
Eileen's primary role at NECSBDC is as the project specialist for the SBA. Her responsibilities include assisting in planning and administering the Small Business Development program for the six Small Business Development Centers. In addition, she oversees and maintains the WebCats database, provides support with planning and organizing meetings, and assists with compiling the annual region-wide grant proposal including budgets, budget narratives, and milestones.
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Andi Gilbert, Administrative Manager
Andria Gilbert, a native of Northern California, is a graduate of Willows High School and Heald Business School of Sacramento. She has been involved in office management at the county and federal levels for over fifteen years. She joined the CED and the NECSBDC’s staff in 1991 assuming the position of office manager. Her responsibilities include oversight of all office operations, staff, and correspondence; newsletter layout; purchasing; filing; preparing quarterly and annual reports; preparing grant applications and contracts; and preparing and maintaining the office’s financial records. She has coordinated, edited, and designed such reports as “Northeastern California: A Regional Profile,” “Arbuckle Hotel Business Plan,” “Mendocino County Impact Study,” “Tehama County Infrastructure Study,” “Norcal Survey,” “City of Chico Rental Survey,” “Leadership Training,” and the “Colusa County Hospital Feasibility Study.” She has also coordinated workshops such as “The Return of the Great American Neighborhood,” “Planning Commissioners,” “Alternative Techniques for Managing Growth,” “ Predicting Traffic Impacts of Land Development,” “Environmental Impact Analysis,” “General Plan,” and “Planning and Zoning Law.” She has been trained to use software such as Microsoft Word, Pagemaker, Filemaker Pro, Excel, Quickbooks Pro, PowerPoint, and Act.
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Warren Jensen, Project Manager
Warren Jensen is a Northern California native who graduated from California State University, Chico in May 1997 with a double major in economics and geography with an option in rural and town planning. He has been working with the Center for Economic Development since June 1996, promoted to project specialist in 1999, and to project manager in 2001. He is responsible for the reliability and accuracy of all community research and analysis produced by CED. Warren is a multi-discipline researcher specializing in demography, geography, and economics, with emphasis on community data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Specifically, he manages projects involving community data estimates and projections, economic/fiscal impact analysis, community indicators, industry clusters, and retail trade analysis. Warren’s clients include local government, nonprofit organizations, and consultants located throughout California. Warren is a skilled analyst and has experience with many statistical tools, including economic base, shift/share, various gravity models, and forecast methodology. He is also an experienced computer operator, with advanced knowledge of MS Office, Goldmine, ESRI ArcGIS, and IMPLAN Pro. Warren will be completing his master’s degree in geography in 2012, for which he is creating a more accurate community demographic forecast model.
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Cathy Emerson, Program Manager
Brand new to Chico in October 2008, Cathy immediately started volunteering with Chico's KCHO Northstate Public Radio, ultimately joining CED in May 2009 to manage the Broadband Demand Aggregation projects for California’s Northeastern and Upstate Counties. An east-coast transplant, Cathy received her bachelor's in English from Goucher College, Baltimore, MD, then spent a decade+ entrenched in retail redevelopment initiatives inside the nation's beltway, including a 7-year tenure running concession services and their construction re-development at (the now) Ronald Reagan/Washington National Airport during the worst of the airport’s capital improvement program. Upon entering graduate school, Cathy was called to California the winter of 1999 to join the San Francisco Airport's New International Terminal Program Management Team as Tenant Coordinator. Once in the Bay Area, Cathy’s team developed, implemented and managed the design & construction process for all tenants, airlines, food & beverage concessions, passenger services, etc. Upon completion of this successful airport project, and despite several months unemployed during the wake of the dot.com bust, Cathy taught Retail Design Concepts and Branding courses at both the Academy of Art and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, sold for Nordstrom’s in the Men’s Furnishings Department in San Francisco, as well as consulted independently. Eventually meeting and marrying her husband, Cathy worked from home while completing her graduate studies in Organization Development, Applied Behavioral Sciences from the American University/National Training Labs. Accepting a promotion and transfer from his firm, Cathy and her husband relocated to Chico the summer of 2008.
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Michael Suplita, Project Specialist
Michael Suplita grew up in Oroville, CA and attended high school in nearby Durham, graduating in 2005. He started attending California State University, Chico in the fall of 2005. Michael started at the Center for Economic Development in May 2009 as a student research assistant, answering research assistance requests, and working on the research team producing the 2009-10 County Profile Series. Michael graduated at the end of May 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and has since become a full time employee, taking on the role of project specialist. Michael spends his time working on several different projects including County Profiles research assistance requests, business assistance requests, applied research and profile workshops, but in the coming months most of Michael’s time will be spent as the contact person for CED’s newly launched Market Intelligence for Small Business Program. When not at work Michael enjoys watching sports and spending time outdoors. He loves to hunt, fish, and practice archery. Michael is dedicated to conservation, especially northern California wetlands. His interest in agriculture, conservation, renewable energy, and wildlife compelled him to choose environmental economics as his major in order to eventually approach current environmental issues from an administrative and decision making standpoint. Michael has valued his time at the Center because it has given him a chance to learn more about the demographics and local economies of northern California communities, and now he has the opportunity to apply that knowledge to their affects on the environment. As his career at the Center continues, Michael aspires to utilize his education and unquenchable interest in the northern California environment to conduct important research on the relationship between changes in the environment and local economies.
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Dave Armstrong, Project Specialist
Dave Armstrong grew up on a small ranch in Orland, CA. There he learned the value of hard work and community. Dave was active in 4-H, FFA, Boy Scouts, and sports including Track & Field and Football. After high school, Dave enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The military taught him mental fortitude and supplied the tools necessary for problem solving and goal implementation. In the four years of active duty, Dave excelled in the electrical field and quickly rose in the ranks often scoring among the top 2 percent of his peers. Lastly, the Navy offered Dave the opportunity to encounter different countries, socio-political regions, cultures and exotic locations the world over. Upon returning home, Dave enrolled in Butte College and worked toward a degree in architecture. It was at this time Dave discovered his interest in economics. After Butte College, Dave continued his electrical career and branched into telecom. But unexpectedly, Dave learned he had developed a degenerative knee disease and could no longer pursue his current career path. So following the advice of his physicians, he left the electrical industry and returned home to earn a BA in economics from CSU, Chico. At school, Dave devoted himself to his academics making the Dean’s List four times and receiving the Outstanding Environmental Economics Award twice. Moreover, Dave was active in the Chico State Economics Club where he served as Treasurer and President. In August of 2011, Dave joined the Center for Economic Development as a student researcher. He worked on the Economic and Demographic Profile series and FQHC applications. After graduating in May of 2012, Dave was hired full time. He looks forward to building a new professional career and becoming an outstanding member of the CED team. In his free time, Dave enjoys watching sports, hiking, swimming, basketball, scuba diving, disc golf, playing piano and guitar, and fantasy football.
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David Gallo, PhD, Resident Economist
Professor David Gallo studied engineering before changing his major to economics during his undergraduate years. He received his BA at Penn State University and his MA and PhD at the University of Oregon. He has been teaching at California State University, Chico, since 1970, specializing in environmental and energy economics during recent years. Dr. Gallo has been a consultant to the California Energy Commission and a number of private companies engaged in energy research, and served several years as a staff economist with JBS engineering in Sacramento; and is currently doing research with the Center for Economic Development (CED) at CSU, Chico. In conjunction with the CED he has completed a number of projects, primarily economic impact studies, for a wide range of clients. He has completed reports under contract to public agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game; quasi-public groups such as the California Redevelopment Association; and private companies including the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, New Urban Builders, and Calpine Corporation. In the many studies he has completed, Dr. Gallo has examined the economic and/or environmental impacts of geothermal energy development; restoration of riparian habitat along a number of California rivers; airport construction in Weaverville, California; changes in minimum flow requirements for Pitt River power plant relicensing; redevelopment agency construction activity; and new urban development patterns.
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Josh Brown, Information Technology
Josh Brown, a native of Ukiah, California, joined the Center for Economic Development and Northeastern California Small Business Development Lead Center in November 2007. His role at CED/NECSBDC is the Information Technology-Project Specialist, specifically the help desk, server, database, and Web site administrator. At age 12 Brown purchased an Apple IIe and ever since has been combining his education and passion for technology to assist non-profits, institutions of higher learning, and small businesses throughout his career. During his time at CSUC, Brown was a teaching assistant for many on-line courses, including population, research methods, introduction to sociology, self and society, and human stress. Brown is the recipient of numerous academic awards including the College of Behavioral and Social Science Outstanding Student Leader of 2002, Sociology Outstanding Student of 2002, and the Highest GPA in Sociology Major of 2002 award. Brown is affiliated with many organizations, including the National Eagle Scout Association, Golden Key International Honor Society, and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Brown has been a speaker on a variety of IT topics including IT security, search engine optimization, IT panelist for the Town of Paradise business conference, CSU, Chico guest lecturer, and various GoToMeeting trainings. Recently Brown visited Tanzania with a team of Rotary members that brought laptops to classrooms and assisted with clean water and sanitation efforts. Computer platforms, applications, and Web based applications include but not limited to: Goldmine (CRM), Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows 98 SE, XP, Vista, 7, Mac OSX, Adobe Suite, McAfee Foundstone, Central Desktop, Basecamp, Constant Contact, SilverStripe, Symantec BackupExec, AVG Server Edition.
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Lollie DeYoung, Project Assistant
Lollie comes to CED with almost 14 years of recent experience with the CSU, Chico Research Foundation. Ten years as an Administrative Assistant with the Long Term Care Ombudsman and Family Caregiver Support Programs of PASSAGES and four years as the Office Coordinator/Receptionist at KCHO, Northstate Public Radio.
Lollie has enjoyed volunteering her time in the community with the Snow Goose Festival, The Chico Creek Nature Center, Neighborhood Church, Love Chico and the Bidwell Park Centennial Celebration.
Lollie with her husband of 34 years, Gary, moved to Chico 20 years ago from the Bay Area to provide a better quality of life for their two sons. Lollie has a 8-year-old granddaughter and a 2 ½-year-old grandson that lives in Chico. Her spare time is spent with her family, walking/biking in Bidwell Park, gardening, reading and traveling. -
Jonny Clark, Information Technology Associate
Jonny Clark grew up in different places ranging from Newport, RI to San Diego, CA. Earning an Associate of Science degree in computer science from Mendocino Community College in the summer of 2005, he is currently working on getting his Bachelor of Science degree in management information systems at California State University, Chico (CSUC). Clark started at the Center for Economic Development in February 2010, and supports the CED and Northeastern California Small Business Development Center (NECSBDC) staff with technical issues. Reporting to the Information Technology-Project Specialist on various IT projects, Clark currently is cleaning up a complex database of client information, Help Desk assistance, and is in charge of producing the monthly NECSBDC newsletter. Clark has gained valuable experience on how computers function in a business environment. Outside of work he likes to fix computers, play video games and spend time with his wife, Alicia.