MCDC Staff

Rosalie Sheehy Cates
President
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Rosalie joined MCDC in 1990 and has been the president since 1995. She serves on the Missoula Redevelopment Agency board, and is a former board member of the national Opportunity Finance Network. Rosalie has been honored as the Small Business Advocate of the Year for Region 7 of the SBA, and as a Peter F. Drucker leadership fellow.

Patty Cox
Office Manager
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Patty joined MCDC in May, 2007. She has 20 years experience in the legal, high tech and financial services industries as an administrative manager. A penchant for organization and a cheerful attitude make Patty a logical choice for the front office. Patty provides support to the MCDC staff and makes sure the daily operations are on track. She is an avid reader, enjoys gardening with her husband and making Sushi with her son.

Lynn Dankowski
Marketing Officer and Business Advisor
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Lynn joined MCDC in 2008 to assist with marketing and copy writing. Lynn assists in the production of marketing and informational materials about MCDC and the people and businesses that we serve. Lynn has lived and worked in Missoula for over 20 years, graduating from the UM Law School in 1996 and working in a variety of businesses including private law practice, retail, restaurants and other service industries. In addition to raising three children she currently serves on two non-profit boards and is active in a variety of other community organizations. She is proud to play a role in the promotion of Western Montana and its businesses.

Heidi DeArment
Vice President, Financial Services
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Heidi DeArment was hired as the Operations Manager in January 2007. As VP, of Financial Services, she leads the leading and financial services for MCDC. She is responsible for management of the lending team, creating and implementing policies and procedures for MCDC’s growth, and assistance with capital procurement. She has five years of experience as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer of two national food companies and four years of teaching experience in the marketing and management department at the University of Montana’s School of Business.

John Degroot
Loan Officer
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After being honorably discharged as a Sergeant from the U.S. Marine Corps, John moved to Montana in 2004. Before starting college at the University of Montana - Missoula, he worked at the family business, Big Sky Candy, in Hamilton. He graduated with a B.S. in Finance in 2008 and is currently a loan officer for MCDC. He enjoys the opportunity to meet with entrepreneurs and learn about their monetary needs. In his free time, John helps out at the candy store, participates in the Bitterroot Valley Detachment of the Marine Corps League, and reads. He lives in Hamilton with his wife, Jennifer.

Dave Glaser
Vice President, Operations and Business Services
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Dave Glaser leads the consulting, marketing and operations at MCDC. He is the Small Business Development Center Director. Dave works directly with entrepreneurs in new and established small businesses to help them reach the next level of success. Dave's experience includes working as a Chief Operations Officer and Environmental Scientist at environmental consulting firms, and Program Manager and manager for sales and marketing at a non-profit organization. Before finishing his Masters Degree, Dave spent time working on a kibbutz in Israel, leading backcountry and river expeditions in Costa Rica, teaching kayaking and guiding raft trips in the Western US, and working on sailing yachts in the Caribbean. Now that Dave is an office guy he punctuates his somewhat less romantic lifestyle with biking, skiing and kayaking – all of which he does with less skill and stamina than he used to.

shawna_kleven Shawna Kleven
Accountant and Loan Fund Administrator
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Shawna joined that MCDC team in December of 2008

Shawna joined the MCDC team in December of 2008. As the Accountant for MCDC, Shawna will be responsiblee for the internal accounting activities including Acocounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Financial Reporting, Human Resources, and Loan Fund Administration. Shawna comes to the team with several years of manangement and accounting experience. Shawna and her husband Keith live in the great community of Lolo with their three children.

Mica Lindsey
Grants and Compliance Officer
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Mica manages all grant and compliance work at MCDC She prepares and maintains grant files for compliance with legal and funder regulations. Mica is part of the New Markets Tax Credit team. Mica prepares quarterly reports for all funders. She has worked for MCDC since February of 1999. Mica spent three years originating and processing consumer and mortgage loans before starting at MCDC.

Amita Patel
Business Advisor
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Amita joined MCDC in August 2008 to assist with grant administration and grant writing. She will also work with entrepreneurs at the Small Business Development Center. Before MCDC, Amita served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Montana’s credit unions for one year and worked for a commercial bank in New York for two years. She graduated with an MA in Sociology and an MBA in Finance. In her spare time, she loves to cook, read, hike and play with the house cat--PK.

Kaia Peterson
Loan Officer
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As lending analyst Kaia works with business owners to understand their needs and goals and underwrite loans to help their businesses succeed. Kaia comes to MCDC with an MBA from the University of Washington and experience working with small and entrepreneurial businesses and non-profit organizations. Prior to moving to Montana in the fall of 2007 she was working as a business consultant focused on positive environmental and social impacts. She has a passion for building community through business. On the weekend, Kaia and her husband have fun with hammer and nails--remodeling their first home.

Craig Rawlings
Forest Business Consulting Manager
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Craig Rawlings is the Small Wood Utilization Network (SUN) Agent. The goal of the agent is to increase the utilization of small diameter timber in the form of value added products and services in order to reduce the cost of forest stewardship. Craig has 28 years experience in managing and owning small to medium size businesses and an extensive background in industrial marketing.

Mike Size
Business Consulting Manager
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Mike Size is MCDC's newest hire as it's Business Consulting Manager. He works directly with clients to review and create business plans, marketing and strategic action plans and provide assistance to clients seeking financing for their business. Mike's background includes four years of experience as an AVP and VP in the local Missoula banking industry and seven years working in various roles at GE Capital earning a green belt and a masters degree during that time. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Mike is an avid family man, former rower, golf duffer, "pick-up" basketball fanatic, and chicken wing snob.

Stacie Stensrud
Controller
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Stacie is responsible for internal accounting activities including working with the Executive Director on budgeting, financial administration and preparation for annual audit. Stacie started working at MCDC in August of 1999 after five years working in the University of Montana's accounting departments.