Small Business Development Centers tap associate director

SPOKANE — Dodi K. Rode has been named associate state director of the network of Small Business Development Centers hosted by Washington State University.

Rode will take over the duties and responsibilities previously held by Brett Rogers, who transitioned to the SBDC state director position earlier this year.

“Dodi brings strong analytical skills and a results-oriented project management background to the associate director position,” Rogers said. “She will continue to be a real asset to the network as we implement improved work processes.”

Rode formerly held the position of assistant state director for the organization. Before joining the SBDC in 2004, she served for five years as an operations manager for Eastern Washington University. While at EWU, she taught economics part-time. Prior to that, she worked for the Nez Perce Tribe as an economic development planner and provided overall supervision to the Tribe’s Economic and Community Development Program in Lapwai, Idaho. Rode wrote and managed several grants and projects that resulted in creating successful and diverse economic development streams for the Nez Perce.

She earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Idaho and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boise State University. She was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

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. In 2004, an independent study showed that, attributable to SBDC counseling, clients’ sales totaled more than $141 million, 1,207 jobs were created or saved, and clients’ sales growth was 24.0 percent compared to 3.2 percent for all Washington businesses on average.

For more information about Rode and the SBDC, visit the SBDC Web site at http://www.wsbdc.org.