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Lorraine DuVernay, Director
707.524.1771
lduvernay@santarosa.edu

Lorraine DuVernay, who has more than 25 years of experience in banking as a commercial loan officer, has been director of Santa Rosa Junior College's Redwood Empire Small Business Development Center since February, 2001. Before relocating to Santa Rosa, she was a Senior Vice President/Team Leader for City National Bank in Beverly Hills. Prior to joining the RESBDC, Lorraine was the Loan Fund Manager for the Napa Valley Economic Development Corporation and most recently was a loan officer at SAFE-BIDCO, specializing in Small Business Administration and other government loan programs. She has a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and an MBA from Loyola Marymount.

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Katie Leon, Administrative Assistant
707.524.1770
kleon@santarosa.edu

Katie Leon is the administrative assistant at the Redwood Empire SBDC at Santa Rosa Junior College. She is responsible for scheduling, marketing and fiscal procedures at the SBDC. Katie transferred from SRJC where she headed the Information Desk since 2006. Her other experience has been in the private sector in hospitality, marketing, and residential lending. She is bi-lingual and speaks fluent Spanish. With a B.S. in Business Administration from Sonoma State University, she is currently working on her M.A. in Communications and Organizational Leadership through Gonzaga University.

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Linda Barnhart, Operations Coordinator
707.524.1770
lbarnhart@santarosa.edu

Linda Barnhart joined the Redwood Empire SBDC in 1996. She completed her AA & AS degrees at Santa Rosa Junior College. As Operations Coordinator she is knowledgeable of all systems at the center. Currently she assists the Sawyer Center which focuses on the many facets of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, and copyrights; all aspects of the NxLeveL Entrepreneurial & Start Up Courses; and manages the client database system.