Brett Rogers has been named director of the statewide network of Small Business Development Centers hosted by Washington State University.
Rogers, a certified economic developer, formerly held the position of associate state director for the organization. Before coming to the SBDC in 2003, he served as director of business expansion and retention for the Columbia River Economic Development Council. Prior to that, he held the position of assistant director of Washington SBDC Office of International Programs, worked in private industry and held several economic development positions in Washington state.
He earned a master’s degree in international management with honors from Thunderbird- The Garvin School of International Management; and holds a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University.
Rogers will take over the duties previously held by Carolyn Clark. Clark, a long-time faculty member in economics at WSU, directed a transition of the program’s lead office from Pullman to the WSU Spokane campus when she took on the role of state director for the SBDC in 1999. Clark retired this month.
The SBDC provides no-charge confidential counseling and low-cost training to current and prospective business owners. It is a cooperative effort between WSU, Western Washington University, community colleges, economic development organizations and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The Washington Small Business Development Centers is celebrating its 25th year of providing professional management, technical assistance and training to thousands of the state’s small business clients.
For more information on the mission and services of the SBDC, visit the network Web site at http://www.wsbdc.org.
