DEC members are available for mentoring. If you are interested in making contact with any of these DEC members, please contact: Diane Mooney at diane.mooney@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov , Bob Deane at bob.deane@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov , or Milton Cole at memiarco@N0SPAM.aol.com . Please include the nature of your inquiry.

Pru Balatero, U.S. Small Business Administration

Pru Balatero, International Trade & Finance Officer, is responsible for the implementation of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Export Trade Loan Guarantee Programs. His territory of responsibility is Alaska, Northern Idaho and Washington States. He is co-located with his partners in the Seattle U.S. Export Assistance Center. Pru has been recognized by SBA as the SBA Regional Employee of the Year followed by his nomination as the SBA Agency's Employee of the Year. He has held supervisory and management positions with SBA. He has over twenty years experience in the private sector. He has held supervisory and management positions in large and small manufacturing companies, e.g., he was general manager of a small (85 employees) manufacturing firm that exported products worldwide. Pru created the basic concepts of the Export Trade Assistance Partnership Program, the E-TAP program. He found local partners who assisted in the planning and implementation of this successful export training and assistance program. This program has been replicated in a number of states and mentioned in the National Export Strategy. In 1987, Pru and two other persons created and co-founded the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators, NASBITE. Today, NASBITE has international membership and presents an annual conference. The mission of NASBITE is to train the trainers of international trade. Pru has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelors Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering.

Rosemary Brester, Hobart Machined Products, Inc.

President of Hobart Machined Products, Inc., Rosemary is a successful exporter with over 35 years of business experience. Her expertise is in the aerospace, medical components field. She has received a number of professional awards for leadership and quality products, such as the Association of Washington Business S. Fred Brunh Award for outstanding dedication to serving the business community.

Mark Calhoon, Washington State Department of Coummunity, Trade and Economic Development

Mark Calhoon serves as Managing Director, International Trade, with the Washington State Department of Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED). He is responsible for a staff group of seven targeted industry international business specialists based in Seattle as well as CTED’s network of ten foreign representatives in eight countries. These foreign representatives are dedicated resources to help Washington companies expand export sales. CTED provides free counseling and services to Washington companies. Mark has worked with CTED since 1990 and has 30 years of international business experience.

Todd Callender, Lindal Cedar Homes, Inc

Director, International Sales and Marketing for Lindal Cedar Homes, Inc. (13 years). Mr. Callender has experience in a wide range of international business applications with this supplier of High-end custom homes. He deals with all areas ranging from the nitty-gritty aspects of exporting, to dealer management and new market development issues. Lindal Cedar Homes has significant overseas business in established and well as new markets in the European Union, Russia and Asia.

Martin Col, LaMarTek Inc.

Mr. Martin Col is the President and Director of Concept Engineering for LaMar TEK, Inc. The business is focused on conceptual design and equipment feasibility analysis for the mining and specialized construction industries. Martin Col also acts as the North American representative for an engineering/manufacturing company located in Germany. As a consulting engineer, more than ninety percent of work is performed with international relations, in particular in Canada, Chile and Germany. Mr. Col graduated from the University of California, Davis with honors in Geology. Prior to forming his own international engineering consulting company, Mr. Col had more than 30 years of international marketing and sales experience including VP and Director of Marketing for a specialized mining equipment manufacturer. He has extensive experience in presentations and speaking at numerous technical conferences around the world. Mr. Col enjoys mentoring small and expanding companies and assisting them in making the most of worldwide conferences.

Milton Cole, Strategic Global Development

Since 2001, Milt is a private consultant working with small and mid-sized companies targeting international expansion for strategic growth. Currently, he is working on projects for companies in Mexico and India. Milt has traveled extensively and held senior level international operations, sales and marketing management positions with both private and publicly held companies, working throughout the world in developing foreign manufacturing facilities, cross marketing / manufacturing alliances, global supply chain programs, expanding both direct and indirect sales networks, technical licensing agreements and negotiating foreign acquisitions. He holds an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird and a BA in International Business.

Tom Dorr, SBDC – Western Washington University

Tom Dorr is the director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics. Tom has spent many years working in small businesses. His experience includes start-ups and turn-arounds in high-tech electronics, telecommunications, and industrial manufacturing where he was instrumental in expanding their business and reaching profitability. His strengths are in sales and marketing strategies, new product development, distribution channels (domestic and international), manufacturing issues, and financing. At the SBDC he provides small business counseling services that support economic development in the form of capital investment, increased sales, developing new programs, export assistance and pursuing new sources of funding. He is the busy father of three daughters — his eldest Danielle, and twins Rachel and Kimberly.

Warren Gross, Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington

Warren Gross retired in April, 2008, as Managing Director & President of the Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington, a non-profit corporation established by the state legislature in l983 to assist small and medium-size businesses to become more active in exporting. Specifically, the EFACW advises on payment risk and settlement terms of export sales, identifies sources of risk mitigation and financing for all aspects of export transactions and determines eligibility for various government and private export loan guarantee and risk insurance programs. EFACW has developed a client base of over 500 Washington State small businesses and originated export finance applications with a cumulative value of almost $1 billion since l991. Co-located with the U.S. Commerce Department and SBA entities in the United States Export Assistance Center, EFACW serves as Export-Import Bank’s “City/State” market cooperator and has earned “Top Performer” designation as a marketer of Ex-Im Bank programs. EFACW is also a member of the Partners Program of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

From a background in domestic commercial lending, Warren was designated to represent Seafirst Bank in Tokyo in l972. He supervised the opening of that bank's Tokyo Branch then managed its activities in Southeast Asia, Australia/New Zealand, serving also on the Board of a lease/finance subsidiary in Sydney. Subsequently, Warren organized the bank's trade finance marketing and delivery in the Inland Northwest, working with customers and correspondent bankers in a four state area. He was recruited to manage Asia activity for Republic Bank Dallas in l982 and supervised the expansion of that bank's presence in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In l986, Warren returned to the Northwest to manage commercial lending for First Interstate Bank in the Spokane area. His affiliation with the EFACW dates from October, l99l.

A recipient of the Inland Northwest World Trade Council's "Most Outstanding Individual Contribution to International Trade" award, Warren has taught international marketing and finance at several regional colleges and universities; he is also a faculty member of the International Law Institute of the Washington State Bar Association, Advisory Board member of the University of Washington Educational Outreach Program, Treasurer and Executive Committee member of the District Export Council of the United States Department of Commerce and a Director of the International Trade Alliance of Spokane. He has served on the boards of several economic development organizations and is an Overseer Emeritus of Whitman College. Warren is a graduate of Whitman and an alumni of George Washington University Law School and Pacific Coast Banking School. He retired with the rank of Commander, United States Naval Reserve in l987, having commanded Naval Control of Shipping units in Panama, Maine, Japan and the Middle East.

Ralph Ibarra, Marketeer Unlimited

Since 1992, Ralph B. Ibarra has applied his business skills in culturally relevant, competent and inclusive ways to achieve his client’s business objectives. Principal industries served include aerospace, health care, law enforcement, consumer products, and information technologies, along with business sectors driven by the commercialization of intellectual property. Current and former clients include Swedish Medical Center, Union Bank of California, the Port of Seattle, the Seattle Mariners, the King County Sheriff’s Office, and other public and private corporations and institutions. Moreover, Ralph is proficient in crafting strategies and tactics for advancing the contracting opportunities for small business, and minority-, women-, and veteran-owned business enterprises in the private and public sectors. Ralph was recently elected to the National Steering Committee of the US District Export Councils.

Darrel Jesse Sr., Jesse Engineering Company

Darrell Jesse is Chairman of the Board of Jesse Engineering Company, a major supplier of shipbuilding equipment throughout the world. The company has been producing , supplying, and installing computerized equipment internationally since 1990. China is a major market, as well as Germany, Poland, and Spain, among others. Mr. Jesse graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and also with an MBA.

Lisa Kelley, FedEx Services

Lisa began her career in the passenger airline and tour industry with a focus on hosting international tourist groups through the unique areas of the State of Alaska. She began her FedEx career in 1985 as a courier. Opportunities within FedEx allowed for a focus on quality, service, sales, root cause analysis, and training facilitation. She has managed FedEx logistics programs and projects for many fortune 500 companies. For the past several years, she has focused on programs and projects that bring FedEx’s world wide sales teams together for greater collaboration, the promotion of international trade and the implementation of the FedEx alliance with the US Commercial Service in the U.S. and over 42 countries, with a large focus on ASIA. She facilitated the signing of FedEx’s alliance with Austrade. She served as the president of the Business and Professionals Women’s organization in Seattle, and is a member of the Washington State District Export Council.

Diane Maske, SUPERVALU International Division

Diane Maske is Director of Merchandising and Marketing of SUPERVALU’s International Division. SUPERVALU Inc. is the largest food distribution company in the U.S., and third largest retailer, with total revenue of over US$40 billion. The International Division is responsible for all of the company’s worldwide distribution and procurement, has been in operation since 1985, and has a staff of 50 people dedicated to international trade and development. Headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, SVI services retailers and importer/distributors worldwide, with a primary focus on the Asia-Pacific region. SVI also manages all food imports for the company, and has a fast growing general merchandise import program.

Since joining SVI in February 1993, Diane has served in both the export and import divisions, with primary focus on retail and wholesale sales and account management across Asia. In her current role, Diane is responsible for managing SVI’s domestic and international vendor relationships, including creating retail promotions, leading trade show participation and assisting small to medium size vendors and manufacturers who are new to the export business. She is a key driver of SVI’s business development platform, which includes new market entry, product portfolio expansion and developing strategic international opportunities for the company.

Diane previously worked for the U.S. Navy Exchange System, working in the Pan-Asia logistics team. Diane is a native of Champaign, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is married and lives in Tacoma, Washington.

Fred Pursell, Microsoft Corporation

Fred Pursell's Information Technology sales, marketing, and channels experience spans 3 technology revolutions and 6 continents. Since joining Microsoft in 2004 his focus has been bringing small business solutions to customers through relationship marketing programs and using Web-based resources to deliver new value through business partners.

Before Microsoft Fred served in global sales and marketing roles for Autodesk (computer-aided-design), Digital Microsystems (networking), and Creative works (eCommerce and Web applications development. He also has extensive consulting experience with clients ranging from multinationals including IBM, HP, Intel and Sun to technology start-ups and dotcoms helping to develop high performance marketing strategies and online resources.

Fred has a BA in Economics from UC Berkeley and MA in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University and speaks French and Italian. He has taught Internet Marketing and Global Marketing through University of Washington Extension, and served on the District Export Council since 1990.

Jerry Ralston, MSI United Ltd.

Currently, Dr. Ralston is Senior Advisor, Director of U.S. and European Services, Pacific Northwest Advisors; Advisor to the Dean--Global Business, Seattle University; Principal Consultant, MSI United Ltd.; and Academic Director, Business for International Professionals, University of Washington. His specialties, from his experience with Management Services International, Rainier Bank, The Boeing Company, and Willamette University, include international marketing, international trade (management, operations, finance), international strategy (investment, licensing, franchising, distribution), intercultural communication and negotiations, international commercial arbitration and mediation. Experience in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Oceania, Latin America. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Geneva, Switzerland; his M.S. Econ & M.S. Science, from the University of Stockholm, Sweden; his B.A. Business Admin. & Political Science from Whitman College.

J.D. Sitton, Infinia Corporation

J.D. Sitton, III is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Infinia Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of proprietary free piston Stirling engines and systems. Mr. Sitton has over 20 years of domestic and international energy industry experience including technology commercialization, new business formation, mergers and acquisitions and the creation of international joint ventures and license agreements. Prior to joining Infinia, Mr. Sitton served in executive positions and started up new businesses for Integrated Electrical Services, Daniel Industries (now a part of Emerson Electric Company), Capstone Turbine Corporation and Duke Energy. Mr. Sitton holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston’s Executive Program.

Jennifer Spatz, Sterlitech Corporation

Jennifer Spatz is Executive Director of the Seattle World Trade Club and also helps market environmental lab products for her family owned business, Sterlitech Corporation. From 1998 to 2005, she managed a $600 million export credit portfolio for Weyerhaeuser Company, determining the amount of financial risk to take with foreign buyers. Prior to that, Ms. Spatz worked as an International Trade Economist at the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Her international work experience includes Europe and China. Ms. Spatz received her M.S. in Agricultural Ecomonics from Purdue University and her B.A. in Political Science/Anthropology from Bates College in Maine. She is an International Credit Professional (CICP), certified by the National Association of Credit Management.

Bill Stafford, Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle

Bill Stafford is president of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle. Between 1971 and 1990, he was employed with the City of Seattle in a number of positions, including Deputy Mayor to Charles Royer and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, where he was responsible for the national, state, regional and international relations of the city. He has been involved in a number of national urban advisory committees, chairing the National Urban Consortium in 1980 and is currently a member of the Citistates Associates. Prior to joining the City of Seattle, he was with Ford Motor Company. He has been an affiliate professor at the Graduate School of Public Administration of the University of Washington. He is a graduate of Colorado College and has an MBA from Columbia University. He was selected “Outstanding Public Employee” by the Municipal League of Seattle-King County in 1986. Bill has been active in the Seattle area community for many years. He is a member of the U. S. Department of Commerce’s District Export Council and the International Advisory Board of the University of Washington’s Center for International Education and Research. He also chairs the Seattle Sister City Coordinating Council, and serves on several boards including the Advisory Board of the Burke Museum, the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), Sister Cities International, Port Jobs, and the Economic Development District. In the past, Stafford served as executive board member of the Japan America Conference of Mayors and Chamber of Commerce Presidents. In addition, he served as a board member for the Woodland Park Zoological Society and Oversight Board, Seattle Children’s Museum, and the Public Defender Association. Furthermore, he was a member of the National Advisory Committee of Small Business Administration.

Garry Struthers, Garry Struthers Associates Inc.

Since 1988, Garry Struthers Associations, Inc. (GSAI) of Bellevue, Washington, has offered Total Management Systems to provide its customers with the best in Engineering Design, Environmental Service, Facilities Maintenance, and Construction Projects. In 1995, Garry Struthers began his export activities to manage domestic economic cycles. Today he reports that at least 50 percent of the company’s engineering, construction and design work takes place in other countries. Garry Struthers Associates has received numerous awards, including the 2004 Washington State Small Business Exporter of the Year; 2003 Distinguished Business Achievement Award (as part of the University of Washington Minority Business of the Year Awards program); and Struthers was also one of 11 nominees for the U.S. Department of State 2004 Contractor of the Year award.

Andreas Udbye, World Trade Center Tacoma

Currently teaching international trade and global management classes at two colleges in Tacoma, WA. Also consulting for Washington State’s Secretary of State on international trade and issues related to new citizens and ethnic minorities. Executive Director, World Trade Center Tacoma 2001 – 2008; previously held management positions in Norway, Asia and Seattle in maritime transportation & brokerage, imports, publishing and marketing. Most recently VP of the Wholesale Division for a horticultural distributor/importer in Norway. Extensive supervisory and human resource management experience. BBA 1983: Pacific Lutheran University, Marketing and Economics. MBA 1988: University of Washington. Certified Global Business Professional (Nasbite); Certified Management Accountant (CMA). Chair, Greater Tacoma Peace Prize Committee; Chair, Tacoma-Fuzhou Sister City Committee; Vice Chair, World Affairs Council of Tacoma; Advisory Board Member, Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Business and Tacoma Community College’s business program; Member, U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s District Export Council; Treasurer, Southwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in America.

Gary White, P’Chelle International

Gary A. White is the founder and president of P’Chelle International, a marketing consulting agency located in Kennewick, Washington. The agency specializes in the creation and management of international economic development projects, incorporating both the private and public sectors. Such projects include in-bound trade missions for the Cochran Fellowship Program of the USDA, the Three Rivers Export Expo, the Columbia River Wine Expo (now the Washington State Wine Expo) and the SmartMAP Expo. As well as being a DEC member, Mr. White is a director on the board of the Washington State International Trade Fair. Mr. White graduated with honors from Washington State University with a degree in Communications. Prior to founding P’Chelle International, Mr. White worked in the broadcasting and advertising industry in Seattle, Washington.

Richard Wortley, Pacific Rim Investments

Senior Advisor, Advisory Services, Inc., Specialist in Credit Management. During his twenty-six year career with Bank of America, Rich developed extensive experience in credit management across divergent geographical and business areas. He headed Bank of America's credit examination departments in both Asia and Europe. Rich managed large profit center branches, including the Hong Kong main office, and was country manager in India and Singapore. Since 1991, Rich has owned his own consulting firm, offering general business management services and specializing in import/export and other financial assistance. His most recent project was with World Bank's Financial Institutions Development Program. This two-year commitment with the bank in Russia raised the bank's standards to internationally competitive levels and allowed the bank to successfully navigate through the latest Russian banking crisis. Rich has a BS in Agricultural Economics from University of California at Berkeley.