Members of AEDC elect the Arcata Economic Development Board of Directors annually. Board members are responsible for managing the corporation, setting goals and vision for the organization and monitoring the scope of programs and services offered by AEDC.

2012 Board of Directors

Board of Director Log-In

Janet DePace, President 
Ms. DePace has served on the Board since 2000 as President, Vice-President and Secretary. She currently serves on the Program Committee. Ms. DePace was co-founder of two local manufacturing companies, and is currently the lead business counselot at the North Coast Small Business Development Center. 

Susan Diehl McCarthy, Past-President
Ms. Diehl McCarthy has served on the board as President, Vice-President and Secretary. She has been on the board since 2002 and is currently on the loan and executive committees. Ms. Diehl McCarthy has more than twenty years experience working with regional and local borrowers, developers and governments.

Michael Proulx, Treasurer 
Mr. Proulx has served in various capacities on the board over the years and served on the Board from 1980 to 1997 and from 2001 to present. Currently, he serves on the finance and loan committees. Mr. Proulx is a lecturer at Humboldt State University.

Larry Dugger, Secretary
Mr. Dugger was elected president in January 2007 and served on the Board from 1982 to 1997 and from 2001 to present. He currently serves on the finance committee. Mr. Dugger is the Operations Development & Planning Analyst for Simpson Timber Company in Arcata, CA

Stanley E. Elcock
Mr. Elcock has served on AEDC’s loan committee since 2006. A life-long resident of Humboldt County, he is a Civil Engineer with over 25 years experience and is the owner of SEE Engineering. Mr. Elcock also serves as the Chairman of the City of Arcata’s Transportation Safety Committee as well as the Vice-Chair of the Transaction User Tax Oversight

Committee.

Antoinette "T" Highsmith 

Ms. Highsmith has served as a member of AEDC's Finance Committee since 2010, and has been a board member since 2012. She is the controller for Wildberries Marketplace. 

Mandy Marquez 

Ms. Marquez has served as a member of AEDC's Loan Committee since 2011, and began serving on the AEDC Board of Directors in 2012. Ms. Marquez is the vice-president of community banking for US Bank. 

Kathy Montagne

Ms. Montagne has served AEDC since 2004. She is currently the chair of the program committee. Ms. Montagne is the Executive Director of Northcoast Children's Services.

Becky Price-Hall 
Ms. Price-Hall was elected to the board as treasurer in January 2007. She currently serves on the finance, program and executive committees. Ms. Price-Hall is a grant administrator for the City of Trinidad.

Kien Quoc Pham

Mr. Pham began his tenure on the board in 2011. He serves on the Program Committee. He is Assistant Professor of International Business and Finance at Humboldt State University. He brings to the board over 30 years of business and business education experience.

Tina Susmilch
Ms. Susmilch has served on the Board since 2003 and is currently chair of the loan committee. Ms. Susmilch is a vice president commercial loan officer for Redwood Capital Bank in Eureka.

AEDC Staff

Ross Welch
Executive Director, since May 2008

Mr. Welch comes to AEDC with thirty years of lending experience in Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino Counties. For the past eight years, Ross has worked in Humboldt County, most recently for Redwood Capital Bank where he worked in commercial lending and as branch manager. Besides lending experience, Ross has also served on various community organizations such as the Crescent City JayCees and Rotary Clubs in Eureka, Fortuna and Fort Bragg. He is currently a member of the Arcata Rotary Club and the Arcata Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Kelli Sterling
Loan Manager, since September 1999
Ms. Sterling is responsible for the review of all AEDC loan requests. She manages revolving loan funds that include SBA Microloans, USDA IRPs and three local revolving loan funds. Ms. Denney has produced $17 million in 504 loans for AEDC since 1999. Kelli has nearly 20 years of commercial banking experience.

Jayne Lovig
Associate Loan Officer, since January 2008

Ms. Lovig has twenty years experience in lending and auditing for banks, lenders and mortgage insurance companies. At AEDC, Jayne prepares SBA microloans, as well as those from USDA, the Headwaters Fund and the AEDC revolving loan funds. Her position allows more loans to be processed in a shorter time -- a real benefit for entrepreneurs seeking funding for their business.

Susan Seaman
Program Director, since March 2007

Ms. Seaman has been working in marketing, outreach and program management since 1991. At AEDC she runs and creates community programs such as the Prosperity IDA Scholarship, Spotlight on Success and Lemonade Day. 

Teri Paterson
Controller, since October 2010

Teri comes to AEDC with almost thirty years experience in the retail environment. For the past nine years she was the Controller/Finance Manager at Redwood Harley-Davidson.  Teri has had business dealings with AEDC over the years and was already acquainted with several members of our team. She is excited for this new opportunity and to be part of the small business lending community. Teri and her family are long time Eureka residents.

Tony Rodrigues
Loan Servicing, since June 2004

Mr. Rodrigues is responsible for AEDC's loan servicing, collections and annual site visits. He also works closely with the City of Arcata on their Home Rehabilitation Program. Prior to working at AEDC, Mr. Rodrigues worked for Humboldt Bank (now Umpqua Bank)in the Collections Department, the Records Management Department, and as their Construction Dispersement Specialist.

Keif Chavera
Office Manager, since August 2006

Ms. Chavera, the voice of AEDC for all incoming calls, is the office manager and the accounts payable/receivable bookkeeper. She has worked in the administrative field since her service in the United States Air Force as an Office Assistant. She also worked for the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Department of Justice, Attorney General's Office Registry of Charitable Trust Section. During her time in the military, she assisted the liasion between the Government of Japan and the Controller for Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

Madelin Holtkamp
Business Development Representative, since May 2009

Ms. Holtkamp has spent 16 years working in the field of small business lending and consulting. She has built and sold several businesses in Northern California and has taught Small Business Development at Mendocino College. She participated in the founding and development of West Company, the Mendocino Small Business Development Center, assisting micro-entrepreneurs. Holtkamp has served as executive director of the Economic Development & Financing Corporation and as a member of the Mendocino County Board of education where she works to improve career and technical education for youth and adults.